FiremansAngel

Thank y'all so much!!! It's been a fun experience and I wud do it over again in a hot minute!!! I went to the gym everyday worked on my abs arms and lots of cardio, treadmill and elliptical

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Sugar, real or fake is just going to make your body want more. I haven't had carbonation for years because I believe it robs the skin of hydration.
Ok, done with my Sunday sermon.. Do whatcha want, but don't expect all the answer to be what you want to hear. It's a public forum and you asked a very debatable question.
If and when you decide, on your own... Well, then CHEERS!

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

Sorry to disagree...and I really am not trying to come off preachy, but yes I do consider it and will always consider it a tool to help me become a more healthy individual. It isn't the cure for obesity that many would like to think, but it is a stepping stone for a better way to live my life. I will be happy also to tell you that I don't have cravings. I have worked terribly hard to put my relationship with food in perspective and deal daily with my obesity. I am no way, shape or means perfect and have as many failings as the next person. But I do not and will not accept food a controller in my world it is only a fuel so that I may live. If soda is it for you, by all means have that soda, as everyone has to follow their own path to their own end. I genuinely wish you all the best.

Okay, how's about we call it a weapon? A weapon in our arsenal to lose the excessive amounts of fat we have on our bodies from drinking sodas and eating crappy food and eating too much food and not moving enough, etc, etc, etc.....
No one said that cravings go away, although many people lose their taste for things they used to love. I was never a "soda" fiend, but did like them on occasion. Now they just taste too sweet to me. I had my first taste about 6 months out from surgery and two sips were enough. The bubbles made me very uncomfortable, not to mention the too-sweet taste. I figure that was my body's way of telling me that I don't need it.
My personal feeling is that you (meaning all of us) will either succeed or fail at your weight loss goals, and the end result will depend greatly on whether or not we learn to stop doing what we did that got us FAT in the first place. Sodas and junk food are probably top of the contributing factor list for many people, so keeping those things out of our post-surgery diets is probably a good thing.
If giving up bad stuff was easy, we wouldn't have had to have a chunk of our tummies removed to help us lose weight.

I did it!! Started at 299 and this morning 199.6!! I can't stop crying. I haven't been under two hundred pounds in 14 years!!!
<3

My daughter is in advertising. She designs ads for companies both large and small. The ads have less than a second to send a message and attract the right kind of attention. Immediate impression is everything.
As we all know, the world is full of shallow people. Looking past appearances is something most people have not the desire to do. They judge you by how you look and accordingly how that look jives with their past experiences.
Men like their wives to look sexy. In public, they like their wives to look classy. Sexiness is classy when it is not flaunted and it still comes through. Too much gratuitous skin exhibition just says cheap and desperate and makes him embarrassed for you. It may even get your man into fights with jerks. We love you and don't want animals defiling you with their eyes. Makes us want to punch them out.
All I'm saying is give us a break. You have a new deluxe frame that makes your man proud that you are on his arm. We love it but don't want to go to jail defending your honor.

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my sleeve. I can't believe a year has passed and even better - I feel like a normal person again for the first time since I turned 30 (I'll be 42 this summer). I even had someone tell me I was getting too thin last weekend (not true- by bmi standards I'm still slightly overweight).
If you're thinking about surgery and wondering if this could help you, my experience tells me yes! I wish I could have done this 10 years ago. If I'd known about the sleeve (as opposed to bypass surgery) I'd have considered WLS sooner.
I still have some real work to do. I'd like to loose another 20lbs and get down below 160. I'll have to hit the exercise hard to accomplish that and I've been a slacker for the past few months!
This board has been such a help to me along the way. To be able to check in and see others feeling similar to myself or experiencing things similar to me was very comforting.
Good luck to you all and keep up the good work!

I was sleeved in May of this year. No doubt, the best decision I have ever made for my health and happiness. Getting the results I wanted for my weight and fitness took more work than I expected. I had an idea that it would happen very naturally as the result of having a smaller stomach... silly girl! VST was a major source of information for me in the early days, and without some of the information I learned here I would have been lost. MyFitnessPal is an important part of my daily life, both the community and the weight loss and fitness tracking.
I started at 255 on my pre-op diet, May 3. Had surgery May 10 at 245. Currently at 145. (I am 5' 6").

Save a horse, ride a cowboy ladies. That's all I'm gonna say.

I have posted this article before, but I'll post it again for those who are obsessing over that evil creation called the scale.
http://www.carbsmart.com/outout.html
The weight WILL come off. It didn't accumulate on your butt, thighs, tummy, boobies, head, fingers, toes, elbows, neck, cheeks, nose, back, calves and chin overnight and it won't come off overnight.... but it WILL come off!
Get in as much Water as you can, even if you can't make the magic number! Same with your Proteins. It's really hard in the beginning, but it does get easier!
Six months from now, a year from now.......... you will look back and giggle at your aggravation and/or panic over that damned scale! And you'll be responding to folks to stay calm and keep on chugging along....... it WILL come off!

I have posted this article before, but I'll post it again for those who are obsessing over that evil creation called the scale.
http://www.carbsmart.com/outout.html
The weight WILL come off. It didn't accumulate on your butt, thighs, tummy, boobies, head, fingers, toes, elbows, neck, cheeks, nose, back, calves and chin overnight and it won't come off overnight.... but it WILL come off!
Get in as much Water as you can, even if you can't make the magic number! Same with your Proteins. It's really hard in the beginning, but it does get easier!
Six months from now, a year from now.......... you will look back and giggle at your aggravation and/or panic over that damned scale! And you'll be responding to folks to stay calm and keep on chugging along....... it WILL come off!

I have posted this article before, but I'll post it again for those who are obsessing over that evil creation called the scale.
http://www.carbsmart.com/outout.html
The weight WILL come off. It didn't accumulate on your butt, thighs, tummy, boobies, head, fingers, toes, elbows, neck, cheeks, nose, back, calves and chin overnight and it won't come off overnight.... but it WILL come off!
Get in as much Water as you can, even if you can't make the magic number! Same with your Proteins. It's really hard in the beginning, but it does get easier!
Six months from now, a year from now.......... you will look back and giggle at your aggravation and/or panic over that damned scale! And you'll be responding to folks to stay calm and keep on chugging along....... it WILL come off!

I have posted this article before, but I'll post it again for those who are obsessing over that evil creation called the scale.
http://www.carbsmart.com/outout.html
The weight WILL come off. It didn't accumulate on your butt, thighs, tummy, boobies, head, fingers, toes, elbows, neck, cheeks, nose, back, calves and chin overnight and it won't come off overnight.... but it WILL come off!
Get in as much Water as you can, even if you can't make the magic number! Same with your Proteins. It's really hard in the beginning, but it does get easier!
Six months from now, a year from now.......... you will look back and giggle at your aggravation and/or panic over that damned scale! And you'll be responding to folks to stay calm and keep on chugging along....... it WILL come off!

I thought I'd update some recent pictures. He first one is one of my biggest... Tell me what you think!! I'm chugging along 64lbs total gone 33lbs pre-op and 31lbs post-op and surgery was October 9th 2012!!!!

This was June/2012 at like 280

This was Nov/2013 at like 243

This was last week 240!

This is when I lost 55lbs (almost 10 lbs ago)