New Clothes!

[Pancua]

May 2005, I tipped the scales at 421 pounds.

5 years and 9 months later, I'm down to 222 pounds. My goal is 200 but I've been at a bit of a plateau. Even with that though, it has been interesting getting to know my new body. Especially when it comes to clothes.

I love JCPenny clothes but for the longest time, could never wear their stuff, I was simply too big. I was stupid happy the first time I was able to shop in their women's section. Though, that only lasted a month before I was getting frustrated cause nothing was fitting me properly and I couldn't figure out why. Thankfully, I was shopping with one of my BFF's, who was laughing at me cause I apparently needed to be shopping in the Misses section.

I've *never* shopped in the Misses section, it never even dawned on me to move over there. So it was like stepping into a whole new world! It's been really interesting finding the difference between an XL and a Large. In some cuts, I'm an XL easy, in others, I can get away with a L. Jeans is the most dramatic, going from a size 28 to a size 16. I still have an pair of my old jeans and every once in awhile, I hold my jeans from today up to the old ones, just to keep it in my head how far I have come.

That being said, I got to spend some time walking around in JCPenny's today and picked up some of the cutest shirts! I am really liking the flirty shirts coming out with the fluttery collars and sleeves.

I just had to share my excitement. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Dragonfly]

Congratulations on the weightloss!

We don't have a JCPenny in Southwestern Ontario. Too bad, they are nice stores.

 

[ladygrey]

Congrats, that's an amazing achievement!!!

 

[Autumn88]

Congratulations. Good luck to you.

 

[aleeeshuh]

Pllleeeeaaassseee share your weight loss secret! I need to be on track like you. Congrats

 

[Pancua]

I had to get help since I was having difficulty moving. I got the lapband done for my birthday in May of 2005.

Once I lost about 100 pounds, I was able to move better without so much pain and I simply didnt stop moving. I've completely overhauled my diet and I keep moving. 

I am not someone who can go to a gym, I need outside stimulus so I walk, job, ride bikes and I fence. With all of the that, the weight has just melted off. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[calexxia]

Originally Posted by Pancua /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I had to get help since I was having difficulty moving. I got the lapband done for my birthday in May of 2005.

Once I lost about 100 pounds, I was able to move better without so much pain and I simply didnt stop moving. I've completely overhauled my diet and I keep moving. 

I am not someone who can go to a gym, I need outside stimulus so I walk, job, ride bikes and I fence. With all of the that, the weight has just melted off. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I had Roux-en-Y in October of 2005, so I'm with ya there, sweetie! I always said I'd be happy to get back down to a 12, so IMAGINE the shock when I got little enough to wear a Bebe 0. (I have since gotten to a much more healthy weight; I looked like a grasshopper when I was below a 4). Seriously, CONGRATULATIONS, soooo many people don't understand what a life change you've undergone.

 

[Pancua]

It really is a life changing event. It's been a really interesting journey!

 

[zadidoll]

Originally Posted by Pancua /img/forum/go_quote.gif

May 2005, I tipped the scales at 421 pounds.

5 years and 9 months later, I'm down to 222 pounds. My goal is 200 but I've been at a bit of a plateau. Even with that though, it has been interesting getting to know my new body. Especially when it comes to clothes.

Have you checked out Catherines or Torrid? Both cater to plus size girls. Catherines is a bit more "mature" as in more proper while Torrid is more "youthful". I like both sites depending on the function I'm going to.

http://catherines.lanebryant.com/

http://www.torrid.com/

 

[Pancua]

Originally Posted by zadidoll /img/forum/go_quote.gif


Have you checked out Catherines or Torrid? Both cater to plus size girls. Catherines is a bit more "mature" as in more proper while Torrid is more "youthful". I like both sites depending on the function I'm going to.

http://catherines.lanebryant.com/

http://www.torrid.com/

Yes, though I am not crazy about their lines at all. And now that I am no longer stuck strictly to plus size stores, I am avoiding them like the plague. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[calexxia]

Pancua, one of the WEIRDEST feelings in your life (and you will experience this, if you haven't already) is when you go into a plus size shop out of habit and the salesgirl is like, "Honey, we got nothin' for ya here".

I could make some recommendations if I better knew your style.

 

[Pancua]

Originally Posted by calexxia /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Pancua, one of the WEIRDEST feelings in your life (and you will experience this, if you haven't already) is when you go into a plus size shop out of habit and the salesgirl is like, "Honey, we got nothin' for ya here".

I could make some recommendations if I better knew your style.

Already had that happen! I spoke to it in my original post. Thank everything I had a friend with me cause I was completely lost! 

 

[calexxia]

Yeah, it felt WEIRD getting essentially KICKED OUT of the big girl shop. But a good kinda weird, as you know.

Seriously, I'm so proud of you. It's NOT an easy choice and people who haven't lived it don't understand the EMOTIONAL impact, either. I do have a stupid question, and I could just google it, but ....with lapband, do you ever suffer from dumping? One of the things with the surgery I had is that I have to avoid sugar and alcohol now, and I was just curious if that would have been the case if I had chosen a different procedure.

 

[Pancua]

Originally Posted by calexxia /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Yeah, it felt WEIRD getting essentially KICKED OUT of the big girl shop. But a good kinda weird, as you know.

Seriously, I'm so proud of you. It's NOT an easy choice and people who haven't lived it don't understand the EMOTIONAL impact, either. I do have a stupid question, and I could just google it, but ....with lapband, do you ever suffer from dumping? One of the things with the surgery I had is that I have to avoid sugar and alcohol now, and I was just curious if that would have been the case if I had chosen a different procedure.

Not so much dumping but if you are not careful, you could deal with what is referred to as slimming. Basically food gets caught in the stoma and gets stuck. (Think a pipe clogged) However, your m mouth never stops producing saliva so after awhile, that saliva has to go somewhere, which is usually up the esophogas and well...you get the idea.

It's completely disgusting!

 

[calexxia]

Hahah, yeah, I had my "stomach" close up after surgery and almost died from dehydration. I hate when folks think we made an easy choice and don't realize just how much our lives change.

And I should get off my soapbox, huh?

 

[Pancua]

Originally Posted by calexxia /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hahah, yeah, I had my "stomach" close up after surgery and almost died from dehydration. I hate when folks think we made an easy choice and don't realize just how much our lives change.

And I should get off my soapbox, huh?

Egads! Glad you got through that ordeal! I almost went with the gastric bypass but at the time, there were so many issues with post op, I just wasn't willing to chance it. Lap-band was still relatively new but they had such a resounding success with it with minimal issues, it seemed like the better fit for me.

The worse thing I had happen to me was about an hour after surgery, I got the hiccups. Major abdominal surgery + hiccups = OMG KILL ME NOW PLEASE!