Slim Lola Slim

I hope my surgery will be in September :-D but still waiting for Aug 21st my meeting with surgeon, dietician and.etc hopefully I will get my date then. It's no fun sitting in the sidelines waiting but I enjoy cheering others on

Happy for you! Hoping all goes/went smoothly for you!

Yay! Happy you got your date! Still waiting over here, lol...

I have been a silent lurker for months reading and taking in all the info while waiting for my turn. Just got my surgery date ...Aug. 14. I am so ready to start my journey to a healthier me! Looking forward to chatting and getting to know everyone!

I have 2 daughters 9 and 3 and my oldest thinks it's great. She talks about how she can sit next to me in my recliner now. We do a lot more outdoor fun stuff. We went to a parade on Saturday and walked all over the place lot's of it with her on mine or my friends shoulders. I forgot to mention my wife had the surgery as well. I'm at goal and my wife is 15lbs from it. I think the effect it has had on our kids has been positive. We all eat better now. we sometimes eat different things from the kids but the little one wants what we have a lot so she has become a fan of catfish that i made from a recipe i found online along with my oldest. They have always liked yogurt so we just buy different kinds but overall i think it has been a good thing for our whole family. I think the 7 year old will see how happier you will be and look at it as positive and the two younger ones will know you as the skinnier you and won't know any different. If you think about it by getting healthier your setting an example that will not only benefit you but them as well by eating healthier and being happier by being able to have more energy and feel better about yourself will inspire them in the long run.

I agree with the above. My twins were nearly three when I had surgery and my stepkids ranged in age from 11-20 years old (four of them are girls). The impact on all of them has been bigger than I thought. In fairness, my stepkids do not live with me, but seeing me shed weight in a way other than the extreme diets their mom does has been very positive for the girls. They would emulate their mother and simply skip meals over a perceived need to lose weight. Now their approach is more balanced. I can't help them all - I have four stepdaughters and one of them has battled anorexia (and other equally serious issues like drug addiction) for the past five years.
The huge impact is on my kids and how I raise them. My children eat a very healthy and balanced diet. We do not follow the clean your plate rule; we eat until we're no longer hungry. Just that one change is huge. My kids don't eat from boredom and we're all more active.
They do not remember big me. They sometimes know that the larger lady in older photos is me but they forget just as often. Their mom does not look like that.
Furthermore, while it's still sometimes a struggle for me to be nice to myself, I am not raising my kids to look in the mirror and declare themselves fat or unattractive. We're trying very hard in this house not to put too much emphasis on size or weight. We focus on healthy choices and moderation. My kids know cake isn't a very healthy choice, but they also know that if they don't eat it every day, it's okay to enjoy it sometimes. Too many moms I run into on the playground these days wonder why their kids binge on candy and soda when they get the chance - but they told their kids those foods were bad and forbid them from being in the house. Well, you have to find a balance here and one extreme is just as damaging as the other.
The only thing I'd be wary of is the portion sizes with your seven year old. Kids are very observant. What you don't want is for them to think that it's normal for everyone to eat a few bites or spoonfuls of food and declare themselves full. My one stepdaughter has a number of issues, but a huge factor in her body image problems is due to her mom's constant cycle of failed diets, coupled with continually putting herself down for not achieving her goals. Every one of those four girls has at times completely blasted their bodies and told me how fat they are. And every one of them is in truth, very thin. Do not ever underestimate the power you have over how your children feel about their bodies. You cannot control it all, but being mindful of what you do and what you say is incredibly important.
Best of luck. Your kids will benefit from this as you become a healthier and more active person. I can actually play with my kids and chase them...I'm not just huffing and waddling behind them hollering at them to slow down for Mommy anymore.
~Cheri

Congrats! Glad your wife kept the faith for you! Now that's Love!

Thanks for the feedback everyone! This weeks goal is to get in enough Water. So far so good. Trying to figure out a good goal for next week!

Well I think a lot of people have this issue and have food funerals. So you are not alone. It is best NOT to do this but I dont believe that it is going to mess up your progress afterwards. If you can begin now to think about what you are eating and try to chose healthier alternatives it can do nothing but help your future eating habits.
After you get sleeved you will not be able to eat like you have in the past. At least for a long time. Not sure if you are a goal maker but if you arent, start by making a goal a week until your surgery, Like this week work on getting in at least 10 glasses of Water each day (you can add in crystal light or whatever), next week make a new goal of cutting back or cutting something out of your diet (along with the 10 glasses of water daily) the next week add another goal maybe an exercise goal. That way you can ease yourself into this new lifestyle. That is what I did and it has helped.
It wont be long! You can do it!

I am trying to do what Susie in Lima talked about. My surgery date is 7/22 and my pre-op liquid diet starts 7/8. I began thinking...it's going to be like going from 0 - 60 if I don't do anything at all before the liquid diet starts, so I started doing things a little at a time. Three weeks ago, I gave up all soda and carbonated drinks as well as all caffeine except one cup of morning coffee. The week after that I started experimenting with Protein powders and started to eat high protein low carb meals. This week I gave up that last cup of coffee and I have a double Protein Shake for my Breakfast (2 scoops powder and 1 bottle water) Next week I plan on starting some treadmill and nautilus activities. I just couldn't imagine doing a liquid diet without doing any of this other stuff, and it really does make a difference. I'm eating the right foods and I'm really feeling much better

Congrats and prayers for a quick and smooth procedure. The video you shared was great, made me tear a little too.

I found my way here! Excited for your journey Sis! The more I read about the VGS the more I want it.