Goal Reached!

[Stitchy]

I'm calling GOAL! :sun_smiley:

I've been hanging around 145 for so long and I think I look just fine. If I lose more, great, but I'm happy now. I'm only 5 lbs from the goal I originally set. It was an arbitrary number anyway.

[Tricia K.]

Woo hoo!! Congrats, Stitchy!!

You look fabulous. :hug:

[chrispygal]

That's great Stichy - congrats!!!

[Neener]

Way to go Stitchy!!! You are an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations!!!

[lil'bitty]

yeah Stitchy, Yeach Stitchy!!!! I am envious and inspired all in one!!! Wauy to go!

[Kristina921]

Congrats! You always look so happy and wonderful in your pictures :)

[vucarre]

Congratulations!

[Sue's Eye]

Congratulations! That's such an inspiration to others still on the journey!

[DonHoll1]

Congrats.!!!!! You have done great and you look great too! Donna

[AnnDe]

Congrats to you!!! You look awesome.... I love the new home btw.... once again CONGRATULATIONS.......

[chattykathywlc]

Congrats! I cant wait till I can proclaim the same!!! Be proud and enjoy!!

[JDru]

Congrats Stitchy! You look awesome girl!! :)

[itsfinallytimeforme]

You are an inspiration for sure, if you will, can you give advice to the ones who are just starting out. What did you do to make this thing work for you? Tips? food choices? exercise styles? Congrats on making it, and thank you for all the supportive things you have said and done in all these posts!!

[DebbieChoos]

Of course you look good - didn't I tell you that when you were here!!?? All I have to say is that the next time I see any of those "rear view" pictures that you love to take - they'd better fit!! You should be comfortable in 6's now....no more baggy ass's for you!

[Maryanne]

http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/flower1.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/SunSpin.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/blueflower.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/wahooo.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/cheerleader4.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/Smiley2.gif http://www.dachsie.org/vbb/images/smilies/congrads8.gif

I am soooo very happy for you, Stitchy!!!! You have really done a great job! Truly inspirational!

[HeatherGurl]

Congratulations Stitchy!!!

You are a great inspiration to all. Hope you are enjoying yourself in Texas and stay out of trouble with that nice little body you have now lady! :)

Way to GO!

[Alicia521]

That is amazing! You have done so well! May 06ers ROCK!

[Mjvaldez69]

Congratulations! Two more days before I get banded!

[Kathy]

I love it..."I'm calling GOAL" How cool is that?! We are all so proud of you. And you DO look great! Yay You!!!!!

[ginabobina]

Yay!!! Congrats Stitchy!! You look great and look like you FEEL great which is the ultimate goal and accomplishment - thanks for sharing your journey with us!

[brwneyedbeauty]

Thats super!!!! Yeah!

["Just Jess"]

stitchy ------- CONGRATS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!! you look fab!!

i can't wait for my ticker to have the little icon all the way to the right! hehe

you're a motivation and inspiration to all of us! :) :) :)

[ate2much]

Wow - Congratulations! Will we be seeing you on billboards or tv commercials?!! LOL
Enjoy (which I know you have been) your new found freedom.

[Stitchy]

I wish I could attribute it to something in particular. I ate anything I wanted but I didn't count calories, grams of anything. I kept a fairly tight band and ate the protein first, carbs then fruit. I really tried (and still do) listen to my body for signs of fullness or satisfaction and then stop. If I think I have had enough but am not sure, I put my plate of food in another room with a promise that I can have more in 10 minutes if I am still hungry. If I leave it in front of me I tend to pick until it's all gone. I admire those of you who excercise, but it's not me.


You are an inspiration for sure, if you will, can you give advice to the ones who are just starting out. What did you do to make this thing work for you? Tips? food choices? exercise styles? Congrats on making it, and thank you for all the supportive things you have said and done in all these posts!!

[Stitchy]

Debbie, you are so cute. I can cram my a$$ into some 6's, but it ain't pretty.

But, here is the reality. I still have tummy skin and fat so the fronts don't fit right in a six. (Can we say muffin top?) And the really sad reality is that gravity has also taken it's toll on my rear :sad:. It has gone south and not just for the winter. Pants just don't fit like they used to. I put on a pair of 8's and they look great from the front and side, but from the back it's another story. They are nice and smooth around the upper part but still baggy lower down. Hence, still baggy butt. I can't get away from that :eek:. But I love you for cheering me on. You did get me out of baggy 10's for sure.



Of course you look good - didn't I tell you that when you were here!!?? All I have to say is that the next time I see any of those "rear view" pictures that you love to take - they'd better fit!! You should be comfortable in 6's now....no more baggy ass's for you!

[lil'bitty]

Stitchy I love your advice about moving your plate. I have a very bad habit of picking!

[Jachut]

Well done Stitchy!

Its funny isnt it but I had the same experience with reaching goal. Sometimes, its not a huge ARRIVAL, all bells and whistles, its more of a slow realisation that "well, this appears to be where my body wants to stay so ah, I guess I"m done?".

Of course, I said that at 79kgs, made the announcement and now I'm 71. But I've been 71 for over six months now, so I think I may be at goal too.

How are you feeling about it? I'm feeling extremely weird. I've never not been trying to lose weight since I was 10 years old. I'm not quite sure how much to eat, when to eat, whether I should be as hungry as I am or able to eat as much as I can (I am afterall extremely active and burn a LOT of energy), my band has loosened, I can eat an entire sandwich now but my weight has remained stable, its all just so very weird. Should I worry about how much I can eat?

Do you find the same? Its kind of bizarre to no longer be "on a diet"!

[Stitchy]

Thank you Jaqui.

You're right. It isn't an arrival. I just figured out that I haven't moved lbs for awhile and it's OK. I feel good and I think I look good. If I lose more, that's a bonus but not something to try to stive for.

I do feel really good about it. I was a skinny kid. I was a stewardess (before they became known as flight attendants). I even looked pretty good after having a baby. But eventually, weight started creeping. Then the yo-yo diets. I was always shocked and in denial when I would unexpectedly catch my refelection in a mirror or plate glass window (or even the security monitors in banks :eek:). I truly didn't recognize myself. Only moving my arms would convince me that it was me. Now, I look like what I always thought I would look live when I was in my 60 's. So, yeah, I feel really good about this.

I don't think you should worry at all about what and how much you eat as long as you are maintaining. I still weigh myself every single day, but I record it on a speadsheet only once a week. Who cares as long as you are maintaining (or in your case losing? I think that attaining what is normal for you is what it is all about but keeping an eye on the scales is part of the progrem. If you become less active and find yourself gaining then go in for a fill tune up. My fill nurse says that she gets a tweak every couple of years.

[munch2much]

Congratulations beautiful lady.

[spiketvl]

wow -thats a brilliant effort! Well done.

[mizfish]

Stitchy,
that is AWESOME news! CONGRATULATIONS! You are such an inspiration!

[Dustbunny]

Hurray for you for all the hard work, and for recognizing that you are at...
Goal!!!

[Idahobeauty]

Congratulations Stitchy!!!! You look amazing! BTW thank you for the info.

[MoOrLess]

Congratulations Stitchy! even on vacation and eating off the grill, etc....amazing, truly! I thought you looked "at goal" in the pictures you took with DebbieChoos...I was right :)

[DebbieChoos]

Congratulations Stitchy! even on vacation and eating off the grill, etc....amazing, truly! I thought you looked "at goal" in the pictures you took with DebbieChoos...I was right :)

Mo she did look awesome didn't she! Even if her pants looked like they were being held up by a piece of rope.....lol I'm glad she moved onto 8's but I'm telling you, 6's are really where our dear Stichey should be....

[MrsS]

Okay, I just searched for 15 minutes for the "baggy butt" picture. Two notes, 1. Debbie looks like she could use a smaller size as well. (hate you, skinny girls.) 2. Choos has a Starbuck's cup in her hand.

Okay, 3 notes. #3 Stitchy you look beautiful.

[Neal R.]

Twin - you know I am very proud of you!! You truely do look at goal. I am so lucky to have been able to travel this path with you and the other May2006 bandsters. You have been a great resource for support and encouragement.

[Patrick]

Congratulations. It is success stories like yours that help pull the rest of us to reach our goals.

[little t]

Thank you for all the great info! As I creep closer to my goal weight it is hard to wrap my brain around not being on a diet. I still think I need to lose a few more pounds, but we will see after I go in for the TT. I have been trying to lose weight since I was 12 years old, so it will be difficult to break away from the skim milk, low calorie, non-fat food. It is strange to say outloud that I have lost 115 pounds. When I see other people that have lost a lot of weight, I can see the major difference. When it comes to me, I can still see the fat girl I was 12 months ago. I need therapy...

[DebbieChoos]

Okay, I just searched for 15 minutes for the "baggy butt" picture. Two notes, 1. Debbie looks like she could use a smaller size as well. (hate you, skinny girls.) 2. Choos has a Starbuck's cup in her hand.

Okay, 3 notes. #3 Stitchy you look beautiful.

Here are her butt pixs that show her jethro pants...ha! http://www.band2gether.net/showpost.php?p=101922&postcount=122 Look how confident and happy she looks (of course she's hanging with me....) I'm so glad to hear that she's buying new pants!

[Stitchy]

Ok, guys. Here is the newest butt shot. It might become my new assatar. It is a size 8. Size six: 1) hurts, and 2) creates major muffin top. Not a pretty or comfortable thing.

3973

I'll post the last progress picture on Stitchy's Progress thread. That should be the end of it. Dead Thread. WOW!!:cool:

3974 3976

[MoOrLess]

Stitchy, you look fantastic! Definitely "end" your thread with your assatar LOL congrats again!!! I love that you have found a "healthy" place, weight-wise and mentally. Many people really struggle with "how much is enough" and "when do I stop losing weight" so I commend you for finding that spot!

[Lovemylpband]

Congrats! WTG

[Lovemylpband]

You look fabulous! WOW look at you!

[Glo]

Oh Stitchy--let me add my congratulations to the others. You look great and your body seems to love 145. I'm just so glad I've gotten to meet you in person and know that we're both on pred (that could be why your body loves 145)!

Please come back this way very soon!!

Love to you--and congratulations on this DREAM!

[pageturner]

I am curious what you would consider your highest point and lowest point along the way if you are willing to share...

[Stitchy]

I am curious what you would consider your highest point and lowest point along the way if you are willing to share...

My highest was 232. That's when I decided I needed to do something about it. I started eating the *bandster way* and lost 7 lbs when I visited my doc for the first time. I continued and lost another 5 lbs by surgery date. That's a total of 12 lbs by surgery day. In December of 2007, for a brief time (a couple of days) I was at 144. Now I bounce between 145-147. I'm OK with that.

Or, did you mean emotionally? I got discouraged when I just held steady for several weeks. That was discouraging, but finally just went in for another fill. Not enough. Went in 1 month later for another more agressive one. That was my last one and I still have it.

My only reget was that I didn't go in for fills more often and earlier. For some idiotic reason I thought that it was *good* to not have to have fills. Duh! That's part of the program.

[Stitchy]

Glo - I hadn't thought about pred being the limiting factor. Hmmmm! Maybe this isn't the end of the journey :cool:.

I am now on 11 mg and feel good. The last time I got down to 12 but there was pain so I went back to 15. I decrease 1mg a month.

I hope we get back to NC sometime. I want to see all of you again.



Oh Stitchy--let me add my congratulations to the others. You look great and your body seems to love 145. I'm just so glad I've gotten to meet you in person and know that we're both on pred (that could be why your body loves 145)!

Please come back this way very soon!!

Love to you--and congratulations on this DREAM!

[Glo]

Stitchy--The pred is definitely a limiting factor...but now that we're both on such low doses, instead of "moonface" it kind of smooths out the wrinkles (I'm 55). The way it helps with the pain and adrenal issues is so worth it. I take healthy supplements--as I'm sure you do.

By the way, I went and had another bra fitting and got those "plastic" things that you showed me in the bathroom that fit on the bra straps. I LOVE them. Now I don't feel like some old lady pulling up her bra straps.

Getting a good bra fitting is one of the best things I've ever done. What a difference in comfort and appearance.

You've just done great! We're all so proud of you!

[Stitchy]

Glo!!! I just looked at your stats!! You are nearly at your goal. Go Girlfriend! :sun_smiley:


Stitchy--The pred is definitely a limiting factor...but now that we're both on such low doses, instead of "moonface" it kind of smooths out the wrinkles (I'm 55). The way it helps with the pain and adrenal issues is so worth it. I take healthy supplements--as I'm sure you do.

By the way, I went and had another bra fitting and got those "plastic" things that you showed me in the bathroom that fit on the bra straps. I LOVE them. Now I don't feel like some old lady pulling up her bra straps.

Getting a good bra fitting is one of the best things I've ever done. What a difference in comfort and appearance.

You've just done great! We're all so proud of you!

[Kim G]

Way to go!!!!!

[CaribnQn]

Okay Stitchy if you say that the size 6 gives you a muffin top and hurts I believe you (smile.) Congratulations on reaching your goal. You look great.

[Stitchy]

I just talked to one of my daughters last night. She said I was only one size larger that she is. And she has always been the skinny daughter.

[little t]

Stitchy, you are an inspiration! I cannot wait until I can post my assatar and say I have reached my goal! You inspire me not to settle for what I have now and keep going! Thank you for posting the latest pics!

[jans]

WOO HOO!
CONGRADULATIONS!
GOOD GOING!
You made it.
jans