desert19

I like greek yogurt or string cheese if I am feeling hungry. Usually it's just the sweet tooth though, so it's time for those sugar-free popsicles!

Excellent, bet that feels wonderful. I wish I had kept one pair of mine to try on now.

I have purged my closet 3 times now. The first was really hard because I did have lots of pretty work clothes that were really hard to part with. I wore them until they were literally falling off of me. One day I just decided, this is it, and loaded up 2 huge laundry baskets and a couple of garbage sacks of casual clothes and coats and off I went to donate them to our local hospital's thrift shop.

The last time was really hard too because I finally packed up every single t-shirt I owned. I had gotten most of them on trips so there was a sentimental attachment to them. They went off to the thrift shop too. So it was really fun to go to a couple of other thrift shops in the area and see if I could find t-shirts of some of the places I had traveled to. Found some cute ones for places I hadn't been yet (so I guess I will have to travel to them now!) Anyway, the emotional bumps in letting go of clothes can be hard, but boy it is so worth it to go buy smaller sizes

I am proud of you and excited for you. Celebrate life!

I hadn't even thought about the difference it could make looking so different from my license. Guess I better cough up the bucks and go get a new one done

Sounds like a marvelous way to spend the day

That head hunger is a killer sometimes. I finally had to acknowledge to myself that it was just a demon trying to make trouble and not to listen to it, which I know is really hard to do. But the more I ignored it, the less it made an appearance. So stay tough, you can make it through the pre-op diet. Each day you are that much closer to your goal of that surgery day and the new life beyond.

I always order a regular meal, because I like having the leftovers for 2 more meals! I almost always get asked if something is wrong with the food, and I just say no, just wasn't too hungry, but it tasted great.

Today is my one year surgiversary! One year of my new life. It has gone so fast, seemingly in the blink of an eye. I have gone from 245 pounds to 133 pounds - 112 pounds gone!

At my 6 week check-up at my surgeon's office, one of the women working there said when they see me for my one year check-up, they wouldn't be able to recognize me. I didn't really believe it, still harboring fears I would fail, like all my other weightloss attempts. I wanted to believe her, but I didn't. I do now!

I have come to some realizations about myself during this journey:

• While I always felt I had self-esteem, I now realize it was for my abilties rather than for really liking myself. I had actually rather loathed mysef and what I had become.
  
• As with any other addiction, you have to hit bottom before accepting help. I have often wished the sleeve had been available 20 years ago so I could have done this in my 30's instead of my 50's. But even if it had been available, I may not have done it, as I probably wasn't ready for it - hadn't gotten low enough yet.
  
• Setting goals is important to success. Whether is is those 5 lb increments, or exercise, or anything else in life. As we reach those goals and set new ones to reach for, we begin to feel like we are being successful and feel better about ourselves.
  
• i had forgotten just how much fun clothes shopping could be!!! As I got into regular sizes and the clothes got a whole lot cuter, I actually started caring about what I looked like. Started playing with make-up again too.
  
• I learned it was okay to shop at thrift stores. Actually, it was rather essential as I have had to replace my wardrobe twice.
  
• My kids and family have been behind me 200% of the time. Couldn't have done it without them. We were looking at my pictures from a year ago and from tonight, and one of my sons said he didn't think I was bad a year ago, until he looked at the pictures and saw the complete difference.
  
• I still have a hard time exercising due to nerve damage in my feet and a recent surgery that set me back. But I have learned to add activity to my every day life - taking the stairs, parking at the end of the parking lot, dancing to music while I fix dinner. I still aim to do more, but I don't beat myself up over it.
  

I am incredibly grateful that this surgery is now available. While it is only a tool in our weightloss, it is a mightly powerful tool!

I am looking forward to the rest of my life!!

My kids think I am great entertainment at the dining table. We usually end up laughing our way through dinner because of my noises

I almost got to the point that I dreaded my boss saying "I think you need new pants again"

I did not have much Hair loss. I made sure to eat lots of Protein, and started taking Biotin supplement before I even had surgery.

I took a really soft throw size blanket and my own pillow (in an old pillow case) - so very, very glad I did. My room was chilly and the hospital pillow was flat. I also took my ipod.

I first went to the community seminar put on by the surgeons 2 years before I finally had the surgery. When I heard them talking about portions, exercise, no pop, etc. I thought gee, I could do that and lose the weight and not have the surgery. So I joined Weight Watchers (again) and I just could never get down more than 25 pounds. Finally gave up and gained it all back in no time. A year ago I finally realized that for some reason, even though I followed the program I wasn't going to lose the weight on my own. So, a year ago I got sleeved, and I am so glad. My life is so different. I succeeded!!!

I am in St. George, UT, close to 3 National Parks - Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon. Not too far from Las Vegas either.

Hey, Lain01 - March 14th is a wonderful day to have surgery. Had mine one year ago on that date, and it has been one of the best years of my life.

I had the same thing - I was absolutely sure I had herniated something. My dr said nope, it is just healing, and it may continue to hurt for a while, but it will go away. And it did after a few more months.

Welcome to the 100+ club. What an accomplishment!! Hooray for you!!

It was the malabsorption issue that really swung my decision over to having the sleeve.

I would add - don't be obsessed about weighing yourself every day. It will just drive you insane as you see the daily fluctuations. Once a week is plenty.

Gas-X strips tasted absolutely gross to me. I went back to using the chewable Gax-X and they work just fine.

I usually have 4 a day (sometimes 5 if I really need it)

I never have time on week day mornings to eat breakfast before work, so I take a couple string cheese with me to work to eat there. On weekends I fix up cream of week.

My insurance covers 50%, but I did not want to jump through all the hoops they required, and didn't want to wait for months while I did those things, so I paid cash, about $14K. It has been worth every penny and I have never been sorry I didn't use insurance.

My favorite Snacks are string cheese, pistachios or greek yogurt.

One of the first questions I asked my surgeon at our first appointment was whether I could still have coffee. He said to have it and enjoy it. Thank goodness, because that would have been a game breaker right there.