CowgirlJane

Just trying to be honest, you don't sound like a picky eater. Lots of people have a list of foods they eat routinely. I am so NOT a picky eater but my regular rotation isn't that much longer than yours. How about try adding some new veggies or a different way of preparing a veggie or chicken? The title of your post implies even you agree that eating"next to nothing" for 2weeks might not be healthy behavior - particularly given the reasons you mentioned. Having said that, I try to listen to my body and eat a bit more or less depending on the message. I cant tell if that is what you are talking about or if it's more food control type issues. If you look at it objectively, the difference is clear...one is healthy and one might not be. I recognize you felt 'LL did not understand you and perhaps I don't either.

Georgia- funny story about. MIL. It's either laugh or cry.

Note to self: next year, get a flu shot. I awoke optimistic..no tylonol for 6-7 hours and normal temperature. I was hopeful fever had broken. Now I feel horrible again which is sign fever is returned. It hurts to blink. I am tired of being in bed. I have a charlie horse/sore muscle in back that is killing me. I am fine but these are times when I wish I had someone to comfort me. Youngest is away for weekend oldest is germphobic. Reality is most men are terrible caregivers but my ex was at his best in situations like this. I miss having someone who acts like they care if I live.lol.

I have said it before...not the easy way out, the ONLY way out.

Ok.. it's officially the flu per my doctor. I never get fevers as I run cold but I am having to take drugs to stay under 101. Do not feel good..

I love all this too..my most recent is a used apparel shop that specializes in true designer clothes. I wear a much bigger size in these labels but the clothes are fabulous...I just don't look at the size tag. It is insane to put on a fully lined dress that was originally 500 bucks and it fits like it was made for me. Oh lordie, my shopping habit might be getting fired up again! I love clearance racks and stores like Ross. Nordys Rack can still be pricey but I bought a sweater there that just "makes" the outfit. I thought $60 was alot to pay for a sweater but it is my "go t o" piece so very worth it. .

So, I think WLS is a very good choice, but I do still cringe a bit at the very young, and even more so, the not very overweight. I get they have their reasons, but I sometimes feel that the serious nature of this business is not well understood. I am not talking about the direct surgical risk - I mean the unknowns of altering your body for a lifetime. For me, it was that or die young. If one of my sons (who are not obese, but one of them is slightly overweight) decided to do it, i would have a very strong opinion against it for them. Young people have metabolism on their side and genuinely believe that if anyone can make without surgery it is young people, particularly lower BMI. They are a good audeince for the "lifestyle" type programs like 20/20 that work on changing your healthy habits wholeistcally. I knew it was bad when the 2 year program i reached out to wouldn't take my money. Told me I didn't have a prayer without surgery- I was too obese for too long - my body had been changed by the obesity. Their honesty was one of the kicks in the gut I needed to revise from my failed band to the sleeve.

Studies I read (this was 3 years ago, so check for updates) that as much as 30% of sleevers need to be on PPI longer term. A few need to revise to bypass since it so severe. The thing is, it spikes between years 3-6 post op. I theorize because by then people are more likely to overeat/eat too fast. I never had GERD or reflux until i was banded and it was the combination of restriction with overeating/eating too late that did it. Other than the first few months post op with sleeve I have not had excess acid and knock on wood that continues. I thought long and hard about it. This is my SECOND WLS, I don't want to revise again! I decided to take the risk and so far no regrets (I am 3 years out) but it is one reason I really watch portions. If it is a real worry for you - look into the bypass - it is one of the benefits of that surgery.

I can't tell from what you have posted... but it looks to me like you have lost alot of weight relatively quickly for a woman... the body does seem to need to "catch up".Closer you get to goal, the slower it goes. I was losing like gangbusters still (by gangbusters I mean 10 or more pounds a month which is really good for a woman) but then i still had a lot to lose! It took me 14 months to lose 150 to get to goal. I had to change things up a few times to make that happen.

As you read these forums you will find your heartfelt fears are shared by many. I would encourage you to look at the big picture questions. Example, you will likely be unhappy not being able to turn to food for comfort.. do you welcome that big "upset" because you want to change? I liken it to the "bad boyfriend" who really gives you nothing in exchange for your devotion...but isn't so easy to walk away from. I am older and by the time I had my surgery I was so "over" food as a friend (lying, false friend) but it wasn't always easy..old habits fight back on their way out the door. Through the process I discovered it was easier for me to give up overeating than it was to give up obesity. Interesting..I NEVER expected THAT! I think this is why I went through more turmoil after goal than before. I am 3 years from surgery been maintaining my transformed body for two years now...it is so worth it but the real journey is much bigger than weight loss.

Man, I am having trouble shaking this cold. I started feeling a little off beginning of week, but quite sick by Wednesday. Wed, Thurs I went to bed uber early - basically worked half days... rest, fluids, low stress. In my past experience, by now I should be feeling better and just shaking off a stuffy head. Well, I am coughing alot, bad headache and the chills have returned... darn it! I don't really want to spend the weekend in bed alone with my netflix and pupster.

I was signing up alone when a girlfriend decided she wanted to go. We are traveling as solo travelers tho, not sharing a room. In the theme of when it rains it pours, another friend wants to travel to Europe this fall. I haven't been in 1 years so I am game. Trying to guide the trip to places I haven't been but we shall see. We get together next week to plan. Complex as she is not an American but working toward ut so she has to check out visa requirements.

I don't live in MA, but travel there for biz. Meetups are very local, you just have to search for one.

I think you will find even people who don't achieve an ideal weight get significant health benefits. I lost a CPAP,my A1c is way down (was inching toward pre diabetes), no more blood pressure meds. My other blood work was always good, but my cholesterol has gone from good to unheard of outside of Japan (that was a joke but my point is beyond excellent). Since I work out my resting heart rate is 59, which is considered quite fit for a 50year old woman. In spite of my current cold, I am sick much less and just generally look and feel much younger than my age.

I admire your handling of this but I think you are also giving her too easy of a pass. Anybody trained in medicine in the last decade must surely recognize the obesity epidemic and how few can manage it without surgery once morbidly obese. I have skinny ass friends who are Barbie doll types, not medically trained who were more understanding than this doctor in training. I do not think I need to have blocked arteries to understand the need for bypass, I don't need to be a diabetic to understand need for insulin. I don't buy the premise that only obese people can understand. Again, you did the right thing completely but don't ever think a medical person has any permission to judge you just because he/she isn't obeses Sadly in my life the least supportive people are obese. My skinny friends were over the moon for me. A very trim, polished and georgeous senior executive at my company congratulated me privately after I maintained for a year. She guessed (but no big deal) I'd had WLS. Her comment to me was she'd seen plenty of people have massive weight loss but so few maintain it. She was very very complimentary and she is a stick by my standards. I am fine if people are indifferent to my health journey but they don't get a pass just because they are skinny.

Band was far more restrictive yet I was still hungry. Sleeve was quite restrictive at first, but 3 years out it just feels like a normal, smaller tummy with far less hunger.

You have done great so far...a sign you will be a success! I don't mean to be negative, but with a BMI of 50 (I started over 50)... do you think you can sustain to get to a healthy weight and then maintain it without the surgery? I couldn't. If you have doubts about the sleeve- give it one last go on your own. I personally needed to be at rock bottom to really accept the permanent..no turning back decision to be sleeved.

3 years out and my life is so much better! It is wonderful to no longer be driven by hunger 24/7. It is amazing to feel so good. It's almost surreal to realize I dont look half bad either. I have to watch what I e at, work out.. I don't have any real issues or side effects except I don't tolerate rich food (ice cream for example) very well. I am more prone to digestive issues but they are mild and do not impact my quality of life or social life. I am not exactly sure what you are asking about...specific questions?

#1 premier Protein chocolate #2 Premier Protein strawberry They are $25 for 18 pack at costco, but they regularly have $5 bucks off specials. #3 - really can't stand any others to drink but I do use Syntrax nectar vanilla bean to make protein pancakes and a few other creative solutions Syntrax is a good product, but it does not satiate me and mixed with Water does not taste that great to drink. Mixed with milk it suddenly becomes high carb so it just doesn't suit me.

I cannot fathom the "pressure" of being on reality TV post weight loss surgery with so many people watching. This is just another reason i intensely dislike these shows. It is freakshow circus like. I am very impressed by the ones that come through it successfully - not sure I could.

Congrats for standing up for yourself. That can be really hard to do when you are obese and a skinny ass person is lecturing on how you "should" tackle your disease of obesity. She has no idea. I changed doctors over this kind of ignorant thinking. My previous primary care doctor really broke the last straw when she told me I just needed to buy the right cookbooks. You know, if i could make food in a crockpot like she did surely I would be skinny like her. I was floored, stunned and frankly felt like she was speaking from a different planet. I never went back to her because we had no common ground to work with.

I thought I would share some of my "dreams" from my preop journal back when I weighed well over 300# It is interesting to pick this up over 3 years later and check how I am doing against my non scale goals: NO more... -plus size clothes -huge gut ( want normal body proportions) -foot pain -back pain -knee pain -hip pain Yes to... -ride horses bolder -ride in the mountains (without worrying about killing my horse) -ride fast -deal with other aspects of life/organization -wear makeup -dress nice because i am worth it. Well... I have acheived most of these goals.. and am totally the hair/makeup/clothing diva...haha. Yesterday I was at a work related "workshop" and somebody suggested hairspray for some weird thing and everybody looked at me. I am like "what, you think I bring hairspray to the office?" haha. It's a lot funner to dress nice and stuff when you actually look good in clothes. What i have not achieved is being pain free. My back, hip and knee still give me troubles but I am able to maintain an active life even with those flareups. Truth of the matter is I did damage to my joints from a lifetime of obesity combined with an inherited predisposition toward oesteo arthritis..oh and a couple of "wrecks" didn't help either. It can bum you out if you let it, but mostly I just celebrate being able to live life so fully. I think what this list does for me is remind me just how limited my life was that my primary goals were to not be plus sized and not be weird shaped (I had a huge mid section). I really just wanted to live a full life and i was recognizing that obesity had robbed me of that. I bet many of you have come a very long way - have you taken a moment to reflect on how much you have acheived, regardless of what the scale says?

Kim, it in no way bums me out for you to talk about your mama. What actually bugs me are people who want to pretend the dead were never here. If you lose someone you really love, you still carry some of them in your heart forever. I went to a fun low key mardis gras soiree on Tuesday. I was getting sick but still in denial. Didn't cough on anyone so probably ok. Yesterday hit me hard but I went to bed about 2 in the afternoon and am a little better. It's just a cold/cough/ sore throat. I am hoping to be mended by weekend as I have fun plans! My trip to costa rica is booked and ready for April. So excited!

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I did have reconstructive plastics but through creative use of spanx and dressing right I was able to disguise it well before that. I think the key is to not wear things that cause skin spillage like tight jeans. This comment applies to many people....squeezed into muffin top inducing clothes isn't a great look for anyone.. and yet commonly observed in these parts.

The Lyon's Den in Bothell meeting is still happening, but i don't know what date is the next one! They are always a sunday afternoon at 3. I went to one and met some great people.