reallyrosy

LOL! Thanks, Emily. You -do- understand!

That makes sense. Thanks for sharing!

I think maybe I'm not expressing myself clearly. The emotional component involved in effecting a "lifestyle change" is so overwhelming (to me) that it makes me tell people not to have any sort of wls. One cannot predict if one will be able to make those emotional adjustments that make weight loss a life time achievment and maintaining it possible. The point is, if you don't understand or if u don't feel able to deal with the whole emotional component or you don't know if you can do that, then don't do the surgery. Surgery don't work unless you can accomplish the other. Ok forget it. I guess I'm the only nut in the group. Shrug.

When people ask me if they should have wls, I give a flat NO! I don't think the surgery can be adequately described. There are too many unknown consequences and the big decision should hinge on your mental health: how resilient are you? If u lose weight, will you have the courage to behave like a thinner person? If you can't imagine that, then don't do the surgery. Its not the answer. It is a very expensive, life altering, weight loss tool. What do u think Sent from my SGH-T839 using VST

I don't have enemy amunition in the house but I will over indulge in chicken, meat, cheese, fish, etc. I am nearly 6 mos out and 75 down but I have stalls lasting 3 to 4 weeks and then lose 2 lbs. Growl. I could eat less, I suppose, but I haven't mastered the emotional eating hunger cr@p yet. I give up on ever conquering that beast. Sent from my SGH-T839 using VST

Changes aren't happening fast enuf for me. No. I wouldn't do it again. (12/5 surgery date)

And I'm nearly 6 months out and STILL on "no liquids with calories...including Soup and fruit and tomato juice" am down @ 75#. I hate the dietary restrictions and the fact that no one from the surgeon's office is explaining how one changes from following this draconian diet after one can no longer be fat/sugar and carb "free" Ech.

The first doc office I visited also sold this stuff and as a matter of principle, I refused to buy it. I didn't care for the commercialism in a doc office. I don't use the powders that much anyway ...so whatever I can get from whole foods is great. Don't want to be annoyed with searching and online ordering etc.

Brazcan, Are u eating more because of hunger? How far out are you? Did you ever make goal? I'm 74# after 5 months and worried how/what I will eat after the first year. No liquids with cals yet and no fruit yet, either.

Plus, u realize that many of the resultant zero calorie products from these artificially sweetened potions are carb heavy in comparison? No, 6 carbs won't break you but....you gotta wonder what these docs are peddling here when they actualy recommend crystal light. I've spent this past week on plain Water and find myself upping my coffee intake to avoid drinking flavorless h2o. Are we spoiled? I dunno. All I do know is they say "you can eat anything with the sleeve" except......and that's what they say after the fact...the except part is left out of the preop discussion. Prize grump ariseth here again. I'm #68 down and 5 months out. I'll admit to getting some pleasure from being a smaller person. But don't let's get carried away....

I'll vote for plant based rather than chemical based sweetener as "better for you".

You're right to worry @ what you state but the chances of those happening are small enough to "go with it." If you want something to worry @ big time, its the need for lifestyle change that remains after the surgery. I dunno who/what you are but if you're older and experienced with losing wt, you'll KNOW in your heart that the mind is what controls our habits and that isnext to impossible to accomplish. You will be fighting with yourself the rest of your life. It'll be just a trifle easier. I am 66. I had my surgery 12/5 and have lost @65#. The decision is mostly a choice between 'devils'...a lot like voting for president! Good luck whatever you do.

I wonder if this is why those whey protein supplements disagree with so many of us. ???do the products list these metals anywhere? I've been using organic drinks...wonder if that makes a difference

The calories don't count and not all flavors have the same amt of carbs. The 0 cal SoBe has carbs varying from 3 to 6 grams pr serving. We drink several bottles a day. The carbs do become an issue, imho.

Wait-a-minit...if its the sweetner in the soda causing the pblms, WHY do the docs ok crystal lite? That's also artificial sweetner.

I WAS a sobe Water drinker until I read the label and discovered there are 6grams of carbs per serving....no thin q vedy moooch! I found skinny sport water in goji black cherry and that has NO carbs at all. Would greatly appreciate if those of you who know your chemicals would look at skinnywater.com and tell me what I'm poisoning myself with now. Thanks

Good luck with all your classes and tests. I'm 66 and was sleeved 12/5. I'm 63# down and it is a huge struggle to move the scale. Don't let anyone tell you itzlll be easy. Others have said it better than I....it is phenomenal in the beginning: you blink and u lose weight...but then the brakes get applied. I guess the body realizes you aren't feeding it anything and goes into a hibernation mode. One thing I have kept up is the exercise. 3x a week with trainer and 2 to 3 x a week on my own. It gives me something to do, if nothing else.

I resemble this very much though my surgery was 12/5 I was only recently having the same experience with reflux. It comes at the same time I may need to have my thyroid med reduced due to afib. I was due for a blood test in a week or so so went early and am waiting to see the results. I'm down 62# at this point. The weight loss has slowed to a crawl...

You can't decipher this insurance gobbledegook. Your surgeon's office should have staff that do. You can ask them the number for the procedure. Then call anthem at the number on the back of your card and ask if they cover the procedure. I have anthem as secondary to medicare. Medicare still doesn't cover vsg but anthem covers 80% of what medicare won't cover. It had to be preapproved and they issued certification (but it was like pulling teeth from a rabid alligator in a death roll). You need to call to get the sweet talk. Then you need to ask the surgeon's office what it all means. The ins co says one script to you and a whole entire other script to actual providers. It stinks. Shrug. Nothing to do @ it, though.

I have state preferred anthem bc-bs. Never heard of highmark. Sure u got the right papers?

Surgery 12/5/11. 60.4# lost as of today. Finally. Veritable stall from 12-18 thru last week. Sent from my SGH-T839 using VST

My personal trainer says"we may never be perfect, but don't stop moving". I already do Water aerobics and swimming and see the pers trnr 3x week. The pt and ot 2 hrs each a week. I hear you. But the doe doesn't give choices. He says NO CARBS. NO FAT. EAT Protein DRINK WATER. Period. So....find me a protein without fats....can't do it, can ya? My yoghurt in bthe a.m. is siggi's icelandic 80 calories. 18 grams protein and 4g fat. I put tofrani syrup on it (its plain) and its great stuff. But I wanna know what I'm eating wrong that doesn't let me lose consistently. The oximetry results show me under 88% 2 hrs a nite and under 89% 3 hrs a nite. That sucks. I thought pulmonary hypertension went away when lose wt. Not complaining per se...just saying. And yes I want to eatnormal too. But the doc doesn't allow it. He says to lose all the wt now in the first year is the goal cuz it won't happen later! I do wonder how many calories I'm actually consuming. I know I've had 120 so far this a.m. going to have my yoghurt now. Thanks for not giving up on the grump-upagus

You know, this kinda support is great thanks to all.... I really think age plays a big factor. I'm 66 and was sendentary most of my life. My job was sendentary. And when I wasn't working, I slept a good deal so I'm severely out of shape. I also have ankle pain and shoulder pains that limit my movements but...most days I muck thru with the hope that something I'm doing will pay off. But like ouroberous said, the initial loss is crazy and then slows down. But don't you worry that you'll reach a point where you can't spreed up your metabolism and you can't eat any less? Then what happens????

Lissa, thanx...I replied to this and then my phone ate it and I didn't feel like typing it again. All those pithy words wasted <grin>. My highest wt was 428. I'm 253 now (depending on how much the scale lies) and I still can't walk much. Certainly not 3 miles. I can do 1 mi, maybe at 2.0 to 2.5 on treadmill taking @ 20 min. I can walk 8 blks with walker but I lose my "steam" more quickly than on the treadmill. I'm actually pleased with a few things: being able to tie my own shoes, based on how often I have to do it, is a small miracle. Being able to fit into my car without bending my knee and propping my foot against the side floor board is another. Not driving with my stomach scared me for a while. -- it felt like I lost control of the car. But the diet is really the NO! Diet. The no being shouted at me by the sturgeon and his.henchwoman. I can have Protein and vegetables and nothing else. NO carbs. NO fat. NO prepared food. Now tofu is listed on this sheet but they both gasped and shouted in horror when I asked about shirataki noodles. Then, I had the temerity to inquire @ popcorn and all &^%$$ broke lose. I hadn't eaten it. I hadn't bought it. I was just THINKING @ it but that set off alarms in thought police headquarters. I think the surgeon is not going to talk to me again. Yeah we got an appointment in june but he is determined that I am not in compliance...i.e. a thoroughly deficient patient and there is no hope on this earth for me. Were I not so compulsive @ stuff, I could shrug it off but with their attitude, everytime the scale doesn't move down, ITS MY FAULT and I never will live it down. I'm doomed to failure. I'm wsorking with shrink and two told me not to regard everything a doc says as god's word...but he thinks he's god and my role, as patient, don't have a chance of a snowball in h3ll. Thanks

I gave away 6 huge bags full of old clothing. Have very little to wear now as the last 10 yrs has been 3x-4x. My bra size doesn't change which drives me nuts. I don't know what my calorie count is. I call this the NO! Diet since everything is forbidden. And I obsess with all of it: weighing, eating, not eating, clothing, looking at myself in the mirror, pain from exercising, amt of exercising, going to gym, going to pt,going to ot, going to shrink...but living? Not yet. Yeah, I can tie my shoes by myself and if a lace opens while I'm walking I can bend over and tie it without blinking but the thought still obsesses me. Yeah I am back to 6 to 8 blocks walking with dog with walker. Yeah I fit on a weird bike at the gym (so far, the only one I fit on) and yeah, I walk up a flight of stairs after my workout (using all four limbs) big woop. I can't walk far without the walker. I still have limited stamina. I still need the rotten cpap machine. I haven't met any new people beyond surface acknowledgements. I can't go on a trip or a cruise (I've read @ people who do 2wks out!) . I DID NOT EXPECT EVERYTHING TO CHANGE LIKE MAGIC after the surgery but I'm still surprised that it hasn't done just a little bit... I wish I had a more forgiving, supportive surgeon who gave self worship a break once in a while. I would choose not to have him in my life if I could. I wish I could find a compatible curmudgeon to commisserate with. And I wish I could think about something else and do something other than just mark time until I have a more dramatic wt loss. I wish....