CowgirlJane

Well, I have done some sort of activity pretty much all my life. not always intense, but always ***something***
In 2004, i did the Susan B Kommen 3Day walk - 60 miles over 3 days, man that was intense! I weighed about 250 then, fitter then recent years, but still packing alot of pounds around. I have always believed that even fat people feel better and benefit from activity.
I have only lost 30 some pounds and even though i am tired, I am already finding my hilly terrain walks sooo much easier. Just getting rid of some weight just makes it alot more enjoyable.
I think for people who don't like "exercise" finding an "activity" you do enjoy is really beneficial. Walking the dog, raking the leaves, gardening, ballroom dancing, walking along a beautiful beach or whatever rings your bell - that all counts! Sure, being a gym rat is great, but it isn't for everybody.

I am 3 weeks out and still on pureed food so I kinda know what you mean. I have some of the same fears, that I won't be able to change.
Here are a couple of things I am doing.
-I am tracking food and exercise to increase self awareness
-I am getting junk food out of the house, to the extent possible. Hubby is a real snacker, which is my downfall.. I just have sad "no cheetos" and don't get near the bag. If I lived alone, I would make sure that that stuff wasn't even around.
-I just started upping my activity level. This is helping with my mood
-I realize that when I am busy, I am not really hungry. Sitting around gives me too much time to think about food. I feel hungry but I think it is more head hunger During recovery, there was more sitting around then moving around so my focus going forward is on staying busy. There are closets to clean, friends to visit, window shopping to do... you know... anything that gets me away from the TV and old habits.
-Take your PPI and drink your fluids. Acid and thirst can both feel like hunger!
-I too was panicked about how easy it was for me to consume fluids (and even liquidy pureed things). The NUT assured me that will change as I start eating thicker food. Today i had some ricotta cheese flavored with sugar free vanilla flavoring and I feel quite content on a small portion. I do think that more solid food will help with this.
also, remember not to drink 30 min before or after consuming pureed or solid foods.
I am scared I won't be able to change, so I am trying to pick one habit at a time. I am now focused on eliminating the eating after dinner habit. It is an ingrained habit, i have done it for years and it hasn't served me well. I am working on changing it. 3 days in a row now - if I can make it more like 3 weeks, then hopefully i have changed that habit. Maybe you can choose one small bad eating habit to work on rather then trying to change everything overnight and feeling overwhelmed.

For as long as I can remember, eating late in the day has always been my downfall. IT didn't matter if i ate plenty earlier in the day, typically I could eat another day's worth of food dinner and after. Many years ago, I would wake up in the middle of the night and if I didn't eat a bowl of Cereal or something i couldn't get back to sleep. I broke that habit by toughing it out, and a week of sleepless nights and haven't done that in ages. I figured I could do it again with the after dinner habit.
The first few weeks with the sleeve the focus was on getting enough Protein and fluids so I didn't worry too much about the time of day thing, but i am 3 weeks out now, on pureed food and couldn't help but notice that the only time of day I really feel hungry is the evening AFTER dinner.
So, for the last two evenings, I have decided to simply not consume anything after the dinner meal (no calorie fluids and Vitamins being the exception). Yesterday, I didn't quite get all my Protein in, but i figure one day of missing that target is okay, and today I will plan better.
It wasn't as bad as I expected, I slept okay and I didn't wake up starving. I think this really is head hunger. I hope that if I can identify and tackle these small bad habits one at a time, I can make permanent changes.

Don't be discouraged. I wonder if you aren't also comparing yourself with people who are higher BMI? Higher weight/BMI means more weight loss in terms of # of pounds. Have you also measured so you can track your losses by the tape measure even when the scale isn't cooperating?
I have been tracking my food using myfitnesspal.com and I feel like that is helping me ensure that i am getting enough Protein, Water and keeping the carbs and calories low. It is just a suggestion to see if it helps.
You have lost 8.4% of your body weight. I have lost 9.4% of my starting bodyweight, which isn't much more then you, and I think I am doing AWESOME. I have lost 28 pounds, counting the 8 pounds preop and the 21# since my surgery on 12/12 but I started my preop diet at 308. I met with the NUT today and she said I am right on track, I suspect you are too you just can't compare yourself to heavier people (and definately NOT to men who lose so fast). This is an individual journey.

I had my 2 week post op appointment with the nutritionalist. It was a good visit and confirmed that i am right on track! I start pureed foods tomorrow and who would ever imagine that the idea of pureed food could be so exciting???? Soup with some substance, cottage cheese, even some of the recipes off eggface's blog - i am so ready to be eating something that is actually like food!

Thank you for sharing your story. I am not sure that the plication is showing very good results so far overall, no matter who does it or what country.
You know this, but I am saying this for any newbies that may be reading this - the plication is a totally unrelated and different surgery then the gastric sleeve.
I hope your revision goes very well. I am a band to sleeve revision patient... it is disappointing when your first surgery doesn't work as advertised.

Other countries do have good medical care - including Mexico. I have never heard of this surgeon and maybe the take away for all of us is that our odds of a good result are better by going to a surgeon with a proven track record and happy patients - regardless of the country.

Thank you for sharing your story. I am not sure that the plication is showing very good results so far overall, no matter who does it or what country.
You know this, but I am saying this for any newbies that may be reading this - the plication is a totally unrelated and different surgery then the gastric sleeve.
I hope your revision goes very well. I am a band to sleeve revision patient... it is disappointing when your first surgery doesn't work as advertised.

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

Other countries do have good medical care - including Mexico. I have never heard of this surgeon and maybe the take away for all of us is that our odds of a good result are better by going to a surgeon with a proven track record and happy patients - regardless of the country.

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

I forgot to mention. I still have the BioEnterics brochure from 2001 when i had the lapband. Right in there it says that it should be considered temporary, and that most people will need to have it repositioned or removed at some point. I can't believe I didn't catch that the first time through, but i guess you hear what you want to hear.... Anyway, the manufacturer has known this is the case for at least a decade, the band is not a permanent solution and will most likely require follow on surgeries of some sort.

I had my final preop visit with the surgeon yesterday. It was a great visit, I am excited but also really terrified. i feel very confident in my surgeon, i feel confident that I will be successful... I just hate all medical stuff so I have anxiety about the surgery. I am scheduled for the 12th, so it will be here soon!

Michelle, I wish you the very best of luck and hope that new surgery of band with plication works out to be excellent. I have not intended to bash anybody for their choice, but rather to share my 10 year experience with the band and why I would not recommend it to anybody now, having the 20/20 hindsight that i do. i cant say that I regret my choice given that it was either the gastric bypass or band - and I still don't want a gastric bypass except that maybe i shouldn't have had any surgery at all a decade ago. you takes your chances, that is what I did.
My stomach is in the process of trying to heal from the damage the band caused, so i haven't been sleeved yet to fully answer your question. One thing that I have observed is not everyone experienced feeling "Satiety" with the band. I was one of those people, that say a year out, could have food in my pouch but still felt hunger in the rest of my stomach. I have some sort of imbalance or something - I am quite literally pretty much always hungry. It isn't because of comfort or emotional eating, it just like there is a signal constantly being sent to my brain to eat more. I am praying that the removal of some of my oversize stomach reduces that signal so I not only lose weight, but I am also free from being hungry all the time.

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

Okay, i will say it - I am not sure why some docs make people go on these torture diets! Liver shrinking is done by going really low carb for 2-3 weeks before. I think some surgeons want you to lose a bunch of weight too so that is why they put you on these super restrictive diets. What is crazy is that i am eating real food and eating lower carb then some of thise "all liquid" diets are! Now, it isn't easy either because having 20-40G of carbs a day, including carbs in Vitamins and all sorts of things you would never think about having carbs is also rugged. I take this preop diet very seriously and you should of course follow your surgeons instructions, just bear in mind low carb is what shrinks the liver.

Okay, i will say it - I am not sure why some docs make people go on these torture diets! Liver shrinking is done by going really low carb for 2-3 weeks before. I think some surgeons want you to lose a bunch of weight too so that is why they put you on these super restrictive diets. What is crazy is that i am eating real food and eating lower carb then some of thise "all liquid" diets are! Now, it isn't easy either because having 20-40G of carbs a day, including carbs in Vitamins and all sorts of things you would never think about having carbs is also rugged. I take this preop diet very seriously and you should of course follow your surgeons instructions, just bear in mind low carb is what shrinks the liver.

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

I am sorry your feelings are so hurt, this just sucks. i have to tell you though, maybe in some kind of strange way this is a good learning experience. A friend of mind has a saying "you don't have to get on the crazy bus" meaning, it is your choice in how to react to someone's meanness (hysteria, irrationality or whatever it is).
This woman has some kind of game she is playing and she has reeled you in! I personally think that the next time she wants to discuss your size, your weight, your clothing, giving you clothing or really anything of a personal nature related you should just politely tell her to "get lost". By politely tell her i mean something like saying "no thank you, I am not interested". Or when she asks you about weight loss say something like "I am really happy with my progress" and just walk away. It will drive her bonkers as you won't be so much fun to toy with anymore, but she'll get over it and move on.
Next time she hurts your feelings and you just politely say "no thanks"... just visualize that crazy bus driving off without you and don't give her another thought. And part two of my friend's saying "don't worry, another crazy bus will come along soon, you aren't missing out"

I wonder if people are used to seeing you bigger, so it is shocking. I wonder if it will subside over the next year or more... once your new normal is established.
I know a few naturally skinny people, and they really are skinny, but are healthy. I think that sudden weight loss can initially appear unhealthy to others (although we know how much health improves by losing so much weight!).
Personally, I am ready to have this problem instead of feeling so big next to everyone else
Lydia - we are practically neighbors! Did you have your surgery locally?

Don't feel shameful... I bet MOST people will admire you for keeping on trying. I believe that society is really starting to understand just how difficult obesity is to cure. There may be a few naysayers, which is fine, but don't ever let anyone make you feel ashamed for being overweight, for having not had success with the band or for doing this surgery.
I always think of Oprah - that woman can do about anything she sets her mind to, right... well, except keep weight off. We are in good company, trying to go from obese to trim is such a difficult journey and the science is really now starting to understand why. No shame, be proud of yourself for keeping up the fight of this battle.

I have had more then a seed of doubt... a whole garden.
I am frankly not worried about getting too thin. I have met enough people who have had this procedure, they range from trim to normal range, slightly overweight - not a one is too skinny. I figure excess skin is no worse then all this extra fat so I view that as damage I have already done by getting so fat, losing the weight doesn't cause the ugly skin, getting obese caused it. I am not saying that saggy skin is great, I am just saying it is already there, just disguised by all that unhealthy fat puffing it out.
What I have thought about is that feeling like I should able to do this without having part of my stomache removed! I mean, for Pete's sake, that is drastic. I have thought about some of the complications that are possible. What I if i have to miss a whole bunch of work due to a leak or something like that? I have also thought about, what if I only lose "some" of the extra weight and I am still fat? Or maybe worse yet, what if I get to a healthy weight and then can't control myself and regain it??? Those things worried me, but I am moving past it.
First, I got rid of the counselor I saw who was anti Weight Loss Surgery. She has never been an ounce overweight her whole life and i have been battling this crap since I was like 4 years old. I am 47!!! I think 40+ years of trying diets and stuff is enough to prove that I can't make that work permanently, don't you?
Second, I started to really understand obesity as a medical condition, as a metabolic disorder. I am not saying there isn't an emotional, and behaviour component - there is - but at this point, it is a metabolic disorder!!! I had to hear this from 2 different doctors before I started to accept that maybe I need help here, not just a new cookbook. My primary care doc suggest a cookbook, because clearly, if I knew how to use a crockpot I would lose 140 pounds. yeah, right Guess what, I switched primary care doctors too!
Third, I started sharing my struggles, my decision process with people in my life who care about me. These are not obese people, they are thin active people. (I am a horse lover, so i have horse loving friends who tend to be trim and athletic). Their support has been amazing. They WANT me to be healthy, live a long life, be active, and to be happy. I think it is obvious to the people that care about me, diets haven't worked for me and aren't likely to work next time either. I am blessed to have people in my life who are excited for my future after WLS, it is almost like they have more faith then I do, which can bolster me!
Finally, I had my failed gastric band removed. You think you feel skeptical and worried before your first weight loss surgery? Try going through the heartbreak of a failure. I felt like such a failure, just like all those diets. Reality is that the crapband failed me. That is the story for another day, but letting go of that both physically and mentally has made this so clear to me. I have been starving and wanting to eat 24/7 now that the band is out - which is further proof that there is a PHYSICAL component to this struggle.
Don't get me wrong, I accept responsibility for putting the food in my own mouth, but I am now understanding that this is such a complicated situation. Once you are morbidly obese it is so very hard to keep weight off without surgery. Seriously, the stats prove that.
The doc I see for my sleep apnea is my hero - the guy that started me on this journey more then a year ago. I had never heard of the sleeve and he was the one that told me it would extend my life. His frankness, done in a very caring way, really was a wake up call. I am on the road to early death, early disability - and that is just about guanteed unless I get the weight off. Yes, the surgery has risks, yes, it is drastic, but weigh the two paths and ask yourself what is the most likely outcome 5. 10, 15+ years from now. Without the surgery, disable and early death is a high probability. With the surgery, I have a shot of being an active senior, enjoying life, enjoying my horses, really living.
I think your doubts are normal and healthy. Educate yourself, go to a surgery support group and meet some people to find out the real story. Talk to people. If you don't quite trust your surgeon, how about consulting with another? I tell people, I am in this for a lifetime, so I am okay that the process has been slow for me to finally get to a firm decision set in my own mind.
I am scheduled for a December surgery. Yes, i am a little nervous still, but mostly, I want it DONE so I can start down the path to the rest of my life as a healthier, thinner person who can keep doing fun stuff for many more years.

I have had more then a seed of doubt... a whole garden.
I am frankly not worried about getting too thin. I have met enough people who have had this procedure, they range from trim to normal range, slightly overweight - not a one is too skinny. I figure excess skin is no worse then all this extra fat so I view that as damage I have already done by getting so fat, losing the weight doesn't cause the ugly skin, getting obese caused it. I am not saying that saggy skin is great, I am just saying it is already there, just disguised by all that unhealthy fat puffing it out.
What I have thought about is that feeling like I should able to do this without having part of my stomache removed! I mean, for Pete's sake, that is drastic. I have thought about some of the complications that are possible. What I if i have to miss a whole bunch of work due to a leak or something like that? I have also thought about, what if I only lose "some" of the extra weight and I am still fat? Or maybe worse yet, what if I get to a healthy weight and then can't control myself and regain it??? Those things worried me, but I am moving past it.
First, I got rid of the counselor I saw who was anti Weight Loss Surgery. She has never been an ounce overweight her whole life and i have been battling this crap since I was like 4 years old. I am 47!!! I think 40+ years of trying diets and stuff is enough to prove that I can't make that work permanently, don't you?
Second, I started to really understand obesity as a medical condition, as a metabolic disorder. I am not saying there isn't an emotional, and behaviour component - there is - but at this point, it is a metabolic disorder!!! I had to hear this from 2 different doctors before I started to accept that maybe I need help here, not just a new cookbook. My primary care doc suggest a cookbook, because clearly, if I knew how to use a crockpot I would lose 140 pounds. yeah, right Guess what, I switched primary care doctors too!
Third, I started sharing my struggles, my decision process with people in my life who care about me. These are not obese people, they are thin active people. (I am a horse lover, so i have horse loving friends who tend to be trim and athletic). Their support has been amazing. They WANT me to be healthy, live a long life, be active, and to be happy. I think it is obvious to the people that care about me, diets haven't worked for me and aren't likely to work next time either. I am blessed to have people in my life who are excited for my future after WLS, it is almost like they have more faith then I do, which can bolster me!
Finally, I had my failed gastric band removed. You think you feel skeptical and worried before your first weight loss surgery? Try going through the heartbreak of a failure. I felt like such a failure, just like all those diets. Reality is that the crapband failed me. That is the story for another day, but letting go of that both physically and mentally has made this so clear to me. I have been starving and wanting to eat 24/7 now that the band is out - which is further proof that there is a PHYSICAL component to this struggle.
Don't get me wrong, I accept responsibility for putting the food in my own mouth, but I am now understanding that this is such a complicated situation. Once you are morbidly obese it is so very hard to keep weight off without surgery. Seriously, the stats prove that.
The doc I see for my sleep apnea is my hero - the guy that started me on this journey more then a year ago. I had never heard of the sleeve and he was the one that told me it would extend my life. His frankness, done in a very caring way, really was a wake up call. I am on the road to early death, early disability - and that is just about guanteed unless I get the weight off. Yes, the surgery has risks, yes, it is drastic, but weigh the two paths and ask yourself what is the most likely outcome 5. 10, 15+ years from now. Without the surgery, disable and early death is a high probability. With the surgery, I have a shot of being an active senior, enjoying life, enjoying my horses, really living.
I think your doubts are normal and healthy. Educate yourself, go to a surgery support group and meet some people to find out the real story. Talk to people. If you don't quite trust your surgeon, how about consulting with another? I tell people, I am in this for a lifetime, so I am okay that the process has been slow for me to finally get to a firm decision set in my own mind.
I am scheduled for a December surgery. Yes, i am a little nervous still, but mostly, I want it DONE so I can start down the path to the rest of my life as a healthier, thinner person who can keep doing fun stuff for many more years.