Jolie_KeMi

I went on a 5 day cruise 3months post op. I didn't buy any clothes until a week before we left because i wasnt sure what size I would be. Luckily, I live in Houston where summer clothes are sold year round...but you can definitely shop online.
There are healthy food choices on the cruise ship and all the walking around on the ship and the ports made for good exercise.
Have fun & bon voyage!

I think the regrets fade over time. I think when you start seeing results and you remember to look at before pictures and start to feel healthy and lighter, it is then that its easier to say goodbye to how we use to be..the unfortunate truth is we abused our bodies with bad food/too much food and now we are at the other extreme..very little food and its got to be healthy to make it count.
Just hang on, your really early out...give yourself time to accept the changes and embrace them.

Happy Surgiversary Lissa! This post made me happy, sad, hopeful, and thankful. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

I don't plan on eating chips anytime soon BUT if i find a Dorito in front of me i might not be strong enough to not lick it... just sayin =)

Lissa,
Congrats!!! I guess you don't realize how much you've helped us along the way too. You are always there to help others and this is a true inspiration. I'm 5 1/2 months out and have followed you closely as well as read your responses to some of my posts. You have paved the way for many of us and the fact that you are still on here helping others speaks volumes. Many year+ sleevers move on and you have stayed to motivate and we appreciate you so much. So today I Celebrate your weight loss and have no doubt you'll make it to goal.
Also, your friend may not be here physically with you, but she's here in spirit and lives in your heart. Remember this when you miss her the most.
Hugs to you!!!
Julie

Ebe, I post for people like you, to pass along the encouragment I got from others who have gone before both of us!

Just thought I'd post a quick update for my family here at VST. Today I am exactly one year out from surgery. On August 30, 2011, Dr Patrick Domkowski changed my life and introduced me to Rex, my new sleeved tummy. The short of it is that I'm now 117 pounds lighter than I was last year. I'd have given my eye teeth to lose that weight before surgery, but I just never managed to do it! Rex and I have had one heck of a ride and I couldn't have predicted how this year went if I'd have tried.
I lost a best friend. She died suddenly in January, but she was one of my biggest supporters every single day. I'm proud to tell Lynn that I have lost more than her entire body weight. I've lost a couple of other friends along the way. They are still alive, but jealousy has eaten both of them alive. I wish them both well on their journeys. Mine is going a different direction than theirs apparently.
I've gained a TON of family, right here on VST. I want to thank all of you for your support and well-wishes this year and I will continue to try to give back to those who are following in my footsteps. It's wonderful to come here and post the absolutely most bizarre questions and KNOW that someone here has experienced the same problem. You guys have been MY support group even when no one else in the world seems to understand! Thank you all!
So, I'm still about 50 pounds away from my surgeon's original goal for me, although he thinks I'm completely successful. I've lost over 1/3 of my total body weight, more than 72% of the total weight I wanted to lose, and I'm still working my plan. I will get to my goal...then I'll reach the goal the plastic surgeon set for me.
I'll post pictures tomorrow. My house was hit by a tornado on Monday and I've spent most of this week cleaning up from that. I am very lucky that my damage is minor and that no one in my community was injured. My final act of clean up was to go through my closet, which got drenched, and sort through my clothing. Everything that's in there now is either the correct size or too small (for the moment) and I'm sending another six bags of freshly washed, dried and folded clothes off to bless someone else.
I have to work tomorrow, so I'll take and post some pictures after I get dolled up for that!
Again, big hugs to everyone here and, for the newbies, THIS is why I had surgery. So that I could live my life without being held back by anything. All this week I have worked from sunup to sundown on cleaning up, repairing and helping others. Pre-surgery, I could barely walk from my front door to my car. This week, I've proven that I am capable and able to do ANYTHING I need to do, from hauling tree limbs to climbing on a roof to help patch it. I'm living, not merely existing. I love life!!!

http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/2012/07/gap.html After seeing this I am now heading to Express.

I am finally wearing my dream jeans. Now I'm a guy, but we care about clothes, too! At least I do. I wear destroyed (holes already in them when I bought them) from Old Navy in size... 33 waist! I was a size 46 waist a year ago. I haven't worn this size since the 1980s. Every day is a surreal experience looking in the mirror and thinking, "Is that thin guy really me?" I never want to wake up from this dream! Ever!

Good luck everyone!! October 17th is my 1yr Surgiversary & I am sooooo excited. This year went by fast. Just think, 13 months from now, you'll be in my position... AT GOAL!

I love when sleeve vets come back to post!
How much are you able to eat? Do you still have pretty good restriction? Do you eat "no-no" foods?
Sorry for the barrage of questions.

Why so serious? I am a totally open book...both on this site and in my life. I used to worry about who knew about my surgery, but I realized it was because i felt self conscious about it. Now, i don't care who knows, who judges, or who questions my decision because i am happier and healthier than I've been in my life. What people think about you isn't your problem so why worry about it? You have more important things to worry about like those damn fluids and Vitamins.
I am happy to be someone who people in the first stages of their journey can look to for inspiration. I had people i looked to as a guide or a blueprint, so why not? *shrugs*

Honey...the only reason you need to get a divorce is because you are not happy, which you obviously aren't. You can't save a marriage if one of the people in the marriage is not willing to work on the issues. The real issues are his cheating, drug use, and financial problems; you having surgery, being religious, and spending time with your family has nothing to do with it. He is insecure that when you lose the weight and start to get attention from other men, you will stray.
Just thank God that you are seeing him for what he is now vs 20 years and several children later. Find your HAPPY girl!!

Honey...the only reason you need to get a divorce is because you are not happy, which you obviously aren't. You can't save a marriage if one of the people in the marriage is not willing to work on the issues. The real issues are his cheating, drug use, and financial problems; you having surgery, being religious, and spending time with your family has nothing to do with it. He is insecure that when you lose the weight and start to get attention from other men, you will stray.
Just thank God that you are seeing him for what he is now vs 20 years and several children later. Find your HAPPY girl!!

Good luck everyone!! October 17th is my 1yr Surgiversary & I am sooooo excited. This year went by fast. Just think, 13 months from now, you'll be in my position... AT GOAL!

Why so serious? I am a totally open book...both on this site and in my life. I used to worry about who knew about my surgery, but I realized it was because i felt self conscious about it. Now, i don't care who knows, who judges, or who questions my decision because i am happier and healthier than I've been in my life. What people think about you isn't your problem so why worry about it? You have more important things to worry about like those damn fluids and Vitamins.
I am happy to be someone who people in the first stages of their journey can look to for inspiration. I had people i looked to as a guide or a blueprint, so why not? *shrugs*

Why so serious? I am a totally open book...both on this site and in my life. I used to worry about who knew about my surgery, but I realized it was because i felt self conscious about it. Now, i don't care who knows, who judges, or who questions my decision because i am happier and healthier than I've been in my life. What people think about you isn't your problem so why worry about it? You have more important things to worry about like those damn fluids and Vitamins.
I am happy to be someone who people in the first stages of their journey can look to for inspiration. I had people i looked to as a guide or a blueprint, so why not? *shrugs*

Honey...the only reason you need to get a divorce is because you are not happy, which you obviously aren't. You can't save a marriage if one of the people in the marriage is not willing to work on the issues. The real issues are his cheating, drug use, and financial problems; you having surgery, being religious, and spending time with your family has nothing to do with it. He is insecure that when you lose the weight and start to get attention from other men, you will stray.
Just thank God that you are seeing him for what he is now vs 20 years and several children later. Find your HAPPY girl!!

I haven't seen anyone bully people on here about tell or not to tell, so this topic kinda surprises me. I have seen a number of opinions and advice, but on top of not seeing a lot of unsupportive comments on those threads, I also don't see how anyone would be bullied into telling the people they know irl.... This is a forum, I ask for advice, but if I don't like the answers/comments I get, I tend to ignore it.
I chose to tell people and I'm happy with my decision. I know there are a lot of people who have taken the other route and are happy. I felt like people would notice, and that if I told people around me it would be easier to have a support group of my friends/family. Plus, maybe with some people they wouldn't notice, but I think over time that people would figure it out with me, I've never been any good at dieting =p

My question is, if you don't want, need, or have to tell anyone, then why did you join the forum? The post seemed almost bitter and resentful that you are a member here. It's great that you are doing what's best for you, but bashing members solicited advise and opinions is really not what the majority is here for. This is a forum for support. That's why we are here. It's a hard journey and some don't have support in their personal life so they turn to their on line family for the milestones NSV and questions, concerns, or advice.

You are absolutely correct. You dont "have" to tell anybody. But when you drop 100+lbs, don't or a minute think the people around you haven't figured it out. You are not keeping any secret.
In reality most people around that have daily interactions with you will wonder why you don't trust them enough to be open with them. While others will consider you disingenuous
I see a lot of postings on the tel, don't tell topic. I really don't care what you choose, but don't for 1minute think that you are fooling anybody.

Girl....
Nevermind.

1. I confess that I never have gotten in all my fluids, Protein, and Vitamins on the same day.
2. I confess that I haven't been to the gym since June.
3. I confess that I enjoy a few cocktails per month.
4. I confess that I like the look on people's faces that I have seen since surgery.
5. I confess that before surgery I was in such a deep lonely depression that I didn't think I deserved to live.
Dang that felt good!!

I confess that I'm afraid that I will be fat again but the time I'm 40.