kyllfalcon

Glad to see you back!

Hilarious!!! As a formerly very-regular poo-er, I have to join in the commiseration regarding the Poo Monster. At one year out, I am regular again, I go every day, sometimes several times each day, but usually it's the jagged little marble things. But, like you, every now and then some smelly serpentine thing comes along. WTH??

None taken! I knew it was meant to be funny :-) Just felt the need to explain. It's all good - we'll all take skinny whenever we can get it!

Those of us who are fast losers post our success for several reasons, including: * Disbelief of our own good fortune - helps to say it and write it * Sincere desire to encourage others I had no expectations that the "journey" would be so quick and easy for me. At a lower than usual BMI of 40, I expected it to actually go slower than for others. I do have a very fast metabolism, which causes shame rather than joy, because it means I had to work hard to get that big. And I did not do anything special, like work out (at all), or live on Unjury ( I can eat more than most and do!) to lose so rapidly. It just happened. We are in total disbelief of our good fortune and we just need to share it, not for praise and recognition, but to show others that it doesn't have to be an uphill battle for every one of us. So please tolerate us sharing our joy and success!! We share in yours, regardless of the pace!

I believe that "what you can never have again" is highly individualized. Like Lissa, I can't do white bread, it just seems to expand and cause painful pressure. Whole wheat bread, sliced thin and toasted, does fine. pizza has to be thin crust. Greasy foods, no way. Like Lissa, very spicy foods, uh uh. But mildly spiced does fine. Dry white meat, that hurts. Plain dry hard boiled eggs too. I did not drink soda pre-op, so don't miss it. I did drink Water by the buckets, but now I can't stand the taste and feel of it. I have to add Crystal Light. I really miss plain water. Been scared to death to try lettuce, don't know why! Other than these few things, I do fine with foods. And again, like Lissa, so worth the trade-off!

Well, you guys got moobs to fret over, we gals have back-boobs to fret over. Back boobs are those boobs created by fat hanging over our bra backs. Hey!!! I just felt and they are GONE!!!

Sounds about right. And as time passed, I could eat more and more, and that worried me that I would not or would stop losing weight. But that has not happened. I now lose more slowly, but I'm good with that. About 5 1/2 months out.

I am 5'7" and have/had about 100 pounds to lose. I've lost almost 70 in about 5 months, and I'm 59. I agree one should incorporate exercise to help stave off muscle loss, but I did/do not. My weight loss has slowed some each month, but I am still very pleased with my progress. Good luck with yours!

Yep. I don't freeze so much during the day, but at night when I go to bed, for some reason I freeze for about an hour or so. I used to sleep under a sheet, now I use FOUR blankets and still freeze. Beats hot and sweaty.

Same as Go Kart Mozart... I just feel full. I don't really follow the rules about eating slowly, taking small bites, and chewing unto death, so the full feeling comes on quite suddenly, and I know better than to ignore it. I DO NOT TAKE JUST ONE MORE BITE... I don't get nausea or throw up, I salivate from the over-fullness until it runs out of my face like a faucet. It only takes a couple of times to learn your lesson. And once I've had a certail meal a couple of times, I know how much of it I can eat. Let's say it's my sweetie's Reuben sandwich, I know I can eat about 2/3 of it. He gets the scraps!

Yes, when you finally get to eat more solid foods. I was afraid to try to go back to work for fear of an accident! But it settled down by that time, which was three weeks.

I always had a big butt, even before I gained weight. Sixty-some pounds later, gone. I don't know if it's just age, just weight loss, or a combination of the two, but it's gone. However, the boobs aren't as bad as I expected. Yet.

So what's with the ****'s showing up in text?? I edited them out, but they reappeared?

On the ***ht before my pre-op diet began, we went to our favorite Thai restaurant and I enjoyed it immensely. I haven't been back yet as my favorite dish is served over white rice and is hotternhell. I've had to tone down the ****iness just a bit. Enjoy your Last Supper!!

I'm so lucky. My 22-year marriage was already good, and I feel it is even better post WLS. Why? I am healthier and much more mobile. Hubby still does his fair share of chores, but I am able to do so much more around the house that I couldn't before. I am holding up my end, and that makes us both happy that I can. I look and feel so much better, and that makes me so much happier. And that makes him so much happier. He has lost over 30 pounds by just cutting back his servings, because we don't eat out all the time and because I don't bake all that good stuff anymore except for family dinners. Because we are both healthier, we are freed from so many worries about stroke, heart attack and dying young, or even worse, becoming severely disabled. It could still happen, but it's a lot less likely! I truly believe that if the marriage is stable, each partner is secure in the union, and the couple is together because they really want to be, getting healthy and happy can only make it better. If this is not the case, then the drastic changes may take their toll.

"Not chained down by our body weight..." Love it! I've been telling folks I've lost six 10-pound bags of potatoes! No wonder I had trouble getting around!

Even before my surgery, with no one left at home but Ma and Pa, the Food Saver was our best friend! We would cook normal recipes, eat once or twice, then freeze the rest in Food Saver bags. Really great invention!!

Expecting a pound per day to continue is probably not very realistic, even this early out. That equates to 30 pounds per month, 365 pounds in a year. Many would love to see 4 pounds in 12 days, myself included!! You're doing fine. Patience!!

I took an altogether different route. I have been plagued with dark facial hair since puberty at 11. Plus a dark unibrow. After years of trying this and that and nothing working to my satisfaction, I started electrolysis. It was extremely painful, left mild swelling after each treatment, took about 1.5 years of weekly treatments to the tune of about $3,000. Totally worth it all. Every last hair, gone forever. Baby butt smooth, whereas before my hubby said before the treatments it was like kissing a man with razor stubble. My motivation? Fear of lying in a nursing home with all that hair growing on my face and no daughters to take care of it!!! What do sons know about such things?

To each his own, but the last thing I want is to keep a mental tally of who knows/who doesn't know, what did I tell this one or what did I tell that one. I told my family, friends and coworkers, basically everone in my life. I didn't make a big deal about it, just gave them the facts. My husband, sons and best friend were all very supportive from the beginning, and that was all the support I needed. At work there were a couple of naysayers in the beginning, and now they have become supporters. Maybe it's my advanced age combined with my own life experiences, but I really don't care what people think or say about me! I just knew they would notice the difference in my eating habits and weight, and I'm just too old and busy to make up stories! Good luck with your surgery and with those in-laws!!

I was really worried about the Prilosec and that gallbladder capsule, whatchacallit, but I had no problems with any of the pills or capsules.

Mine went to any meeting he could. I really did appreciate it. He's been my best support. This surgery drastically affects the life of the spouse too.

Yes. I was hip and thigh-heavy. Had a terrible time getting pants to fit the fullness under a relatively small waist. Now, my butt is flat and my thighs are thin. And I have a protruding gut. Dang it.

I went in thinking I wanted the Lap Band, then when I saw how many folks were having theirs removed, I moved on to wanting plication. I was in dread fear of having such a large portion of my stomach permanently removed. My surgeon had done a total of 24 plications, but had done thousands of sleeves. He was quite willing, but he did say the plication was once thought to be reversible, but history is proving that not to be the case. So what's the point? And most importantly, all the workers at the clinic told me behind their hands in whispers not to do the plication. When I asked why, they said it just doesn't produce the results the sleeve does, just don't do it. Nuff said. I got the sleeve.