I've lost 120lbs. AMA

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Thought it might be interesting to some.

Most of my stretch marks are from pregnancy.

I don't like my body now. But I didn't like my body before either.
I'd rather dislike a healthy, functioning, saggy body than an unhealthy one that prevents me from living normally.

I do wish I could win the Euro and have a breastlift though. I won't allow my husband to see them anymore.

I mean that's an odd question to me. People don't make a conscious decision to get fat. It's not a goal or an aim. (Unless you're one of those feeder people)

It was the result of a bad childhood. Mental health issues. Some family issues and depression.
I've also been diagnosed ADHD and Autistic since and that's helped me realise why I self sabotaged with food.

And I did realise it was happening but I hated myself so much that I didn't care.

It's like a form of self harm. I looked in the mirror, cried and told myself I deserve to look and feel like this. Then ate to make myself feel both better and worse

I do feel slim now, yes and I probably feel shocked by it daily.
I'll put clothes on think 'is that me?' and do a double take in shop mirrors.

But it took me getting to about 9.5st to feel that way. That's when I lost my bloated belly and I could look past the mum apron and see the overall picture.

I feel really good in clothes. I love buying a size 10 pair of trousers or a size small pyjamas. It feels really good and I can't imagine going back to Larges.

I feel shit naked though.

I am conscious of my issues transferring the other way (from over eating to undereating) in fear of regain but I'm on top of it.

Also thinking about this, I took many steps to try and lose weight in the decade before my sleeve, I did..

Slimming world many times
Weight watchers many times
Joined the gym (but mental health issues stopped me going regularly)
Keto
Calorie counting
Slim fast
VLCD shakes
Food therapy
Hypnosis

Thanks for your answer and sorry it sounds like you had a really shit time.

Yeah i wasn't saying anyone makes a conscious decision, more like if it creeps on and on you do realise but it takes ... something, I don't know what.... to prompt action... then more and different actions when they don't seem to work.

And I did realise it was happening but I hated myself so much that I didn't care.

I think this is my answer. can I ask did something change? And/or was it that you'd tried everything else?

Also, all of those weight-loss things must've taken over your life to some extent. Do you feel different mentally now it's not a constant battle? Or do you still think about your weight a lot?

All of this meant sympathetically btw!

I hit 17.5stone and I realised that I couldn't lose weight in a normal way and I was just embarrassed.
It was covid and I had a bit of a breakdown and shaved my head to punish myself even more.

I thought I was going to eat myself to death so I figured i had to make a decision, a risky operation in a foreign country vs dying slowly of obesity.

I made the right choice I think.

I still think about it alot but it's in a different way. It's more positive. But I'm very aware of my weight and the fact I could regain. Which I'm desperate not to do.

Mine took about 13 months then I’ve maintained since, I can totally relate to the skin -My stomach and thighs are like burst balloons but I’d far rather that be my issue than how I was before!

Exactly. It's not a great situation but it's better than being dangerously overweight.

Sometimes I feel sad though that I've come so far but can't be happy with my body.

Ah I thought a sleeve was literally something they put around your stomach to reduce its size.
I've lost 120lbs by dieting in tha past but over the last 20 years gained it back. I'm type 1 diabetic so can't go on injections.
I don't get stretch marks and didn't have much loose skin before but after two kids and two decades I imagine I will if I lose it again.
Thank you for posting and answering questions.

Well done OP!

You say you've got children. Are they (and your partner if you've got one) a healthy weight? Did you find it difficult to address your disordered eating whilst they ate "normally"? I am overweight but my husband eats loads and never puts on weight which makes it harder for me to lose.

Yes. They're all slim.
Well my youngest (12) is a little chubby right now but his older brothers were the same at 12/13. I think they have the growing appetite before the teenage growth spurt so I'm not concerned about it as they all went through that stage and evened out when they grew tall

My husband has always been skinny and he can eat like a horse and eat crap and he's never been even close to gaining excess weight.

Are you staying on Mounjaro for maintenance or stopping it?

I stopped it a few weeks ago.

I can't afford it longterm and it gives me insomnia!

Why wouldn't the NHS help you?

My GP just repeatedly referred me to Slimming World, which didn't work for me.
And also offered a gym membership but I was suffering through intermittent agoraphobia and social anxiety. Plus weightloss is only about 10% exercise .
An hour at the gym means nothing if you still over eat all day.

In early 2021 I asked about being referred for weightloss surgery but they said because of covid it would be at least 4 years IF I even got approved and that approval would only be known at the end of the journey. So I could wait 4 years to be told no.