gowalking

There are so many things I want to say after reading this but I think thank you says it all.

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. My sister is morbidly obese and even with my success losing my excess weight, she has not decided to do anything about her weight issue. Truthfully, I am hoping that I don't hate her if she dies before her time because of her obesity. I expected to grow old with her and now I don't think that will happen. I love her and don't want to lose her but I can't call her out in any way regarding her weight. She knows how heavy she is and she also understands that it's impacting her life span. That she chooses to do nothing to change that is something I cannot address without her feeling like I'm chastising her. So..I say nothing and hope she makes the choice herself to lose weight.

I watched. If anyone needs therapy it's her. Not because she's crazy...she's not. But because she uses food as a panacea for her issues. Wasn't surprised she abused her pain meds. I hope she's seeing the therapist and getting healthier physically and emotionally. Oh and her in the truck...I bet she never went shopping with her family. She did it because of the show. The shower and shop part of the show are for us to gawk at them unfortunately.

FYI, I found Zoosk to be a good dating site. Had more success there than POF or even Jdate. Am with my current BF since May and met him on Zoosk. Honestly...I feel so lucky to have met him. What a sweet and caring man he turned out to be. I did not care for the 'job' of looking for a significant other but I'm glad I did. When I climb into bed and he's in there with me, I can feel my stress level drop, and I completely relax in his arms. There's nothing better in those moments. Hang in there...and all I can do is hope you find someone special as well.

Are you having issues with the band? I got mine three years ago and lost more pounds than what I currently weigh. I literally got a new lease on life since being banded and I am always concerned that the band will need removal for some reason so I often ask long time bandsters if they are having issues. Do you? And if yes, can you expand upon them so I can know some of the things to keep an eye out for? Thanks.

Wonderful news Jim! Best to you and Kelly!!

No one is asking anyone to become the food police. I hate when someone tries that. It's one thing to make recommendations, it another to say you should or should not eat something.

Ooooo that's a good one! Although I still like Dolly's version better Dolly can do no wrong. Dolly wrote it, so her version had so much more depth and feeling in it than anyone else could. Whitney's version was great for her vocal abilities, but she didn't have the heartbreak and sadness that Dolly put into it. She's still a pistol, too. Hooray! I thought I was the only one who preferred Dolly's version. Yes...Whitney's vocals are amazing but the heartache comes through in Dolly's version in a way that Whitney's doesn't. I can cry just thinking about this song...much less hearing it.

I was? I only went in there for about 10 seconds last night and it was empty... wonder if maybe my window didn't close out until later or something. oh yeah...maybe.

I went in there last night. jamielogical was there but then she left. I thought it was all about me, but I remembered what my therapist said...and let it go... Maybe I'll see some of you in there tonight or tomorrow night.

I love this....I looked up the song that was #1 the day I was born. Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson. I had no idea...and I know this song too...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Back in NY after being in Florida. Cold in Florida, brutally cold here in NY. Got home last night and the BF had roses and a roast chicken waiting for me. If that's not love, I don't know what is...

Folks used the chat rooms alot more when we were separated by our different WLS surgeries. Once we were all under the BP umbrella, the chat rooms sorta faded away.

What Ann said. Amen sister!!

I watched last night after not watching several of the prior episodes. Ariel's arms and legs looked bad. Like sausages. Her mom looked like she had WLS and is on her journey. Something unbalanced about the way she looks. I've seen it before with super morbidly obese folk.

I saw this episode last night. Her using the children as the reason for her overeating was getting annoying. Didn't mean she didn't believe it, but it was annoying none the less. I liked that Dr. Now didn't let her squirm away from the truth. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. No one gets that size just because they like to eat. There is something else going on and the overeating is just the result of whatever folks can't deal with. It's not always a horror story like abuse...sometimes it's just a coping mechanism that unfortunately, everyone can tell we suffer from because of how it impacts our bodies. I say this as one of the morbidly obese. I wasn't 600 lbs. but close to 300 lbs. in a small framed person. I had as difficult a time with my mobility as Dottie and so many others on this show have. Yet, I still needed surgery to help me with my addiction.

Best physically: being able to walk like a normal person. No more cane, and no more severe joint pain. Best emotionally: wearing dresses at work like I did years ago..and getting compliments all the time from my colleagues..and now the BF when we meet up after work. Worst: Times when I'd like to eat certain trigger foods with abandon. Can't do it no more..which is good of course, but I admit that I miss it sometimes.

..don't forget pocketbooks. I had to shorten all the shoulder straps, or just give them away if they weren't adjustable.

Go walking, you are beautiful! Congrats on all that hard work, I am struggling with what life can or will be like not big? I feel like the emotional adjustment will be just as tough as the psychical one. Any pointers? Thank you @sam1016. The best pointer I can give you is to work with a therapist if you feel like you are not handling things the way you had hoped. I did not recognize myself a year after my surgery. I saw a wrinkled, old woman staring back at me. I had lost at that point, about 90 lbs. I think and did not see the weight loss at all, but only the thinning hair, the hanging skin, and everything else in a negative way. I saw the therapist for two years and just recently decided to try to deal with things on my own. But if I feel at any point that I need her help again, I'll be back in her office. I still will hold a pair of jeans up and think that I'll never fit into them even though I know I do. This is a wonderful journey but it has it's ups and downs for sure. Some folks can eventually have their heads catch up to the changes that their bodies are going through but I could not and knew that I needed professional help. Don't hesitate to do the same if you feel the need. Good luck sweetie and keep us posted on how you're doing, OK?

I read these posts and think, 'I'm so happy that I'm three years post op'. What I mean by that is I've been this size more or less for the past year and a half. So my family, friends, co-workers, etc. don't say anything anymore. Not about weight at least. I still get compliments but they are more in the vein of the nice outfit I'm wearing or my new hairstyle, or some such thing. It's not about the weight I'm losing or have lost. It's a good place to be. I want the people in my life to forget the fat woman I was and get totally used to the size I am now. That to me is the definition of success.

I know it's hard to imagine ever being slender when one is morbidly obese yet you can see in this before and after of me that it's possible.

Having been a nurse for 23 yrs, I totally get Dr. Now. He tells it like it is...because these people need to hear it! They will lie to you to your face, just like Dottie did last night. "I don't know how I didn't lose. I haven't cheated...I didn't over eat, I ate everything I was supposed to!" ... as we watched her eat those chips with supper and wash it down with a coke. He's not a dummy. He hasn't done this many surgeries to listen to lies. He knows what a person's body goes through during these procedures and it's his way of making or breaking them. You either man up and do what you were told to do for the program or get out. Yes, it's blunt, but trust me....you see through the BS and after awhile, tell it like it is. So...folks lie to the people who are there to help them and to themselves. Explain to me again, why food is not considered an addiction the way alcohol and drugs are. (she says, dripping sarcasm)

OMG...you are soooo bad. LOL!!

@@2goldengirl im glad you said that about mercy street cuz im recording it but haven't started it cuz my co-worker said it wasn't good but now i'll start and see how it is Mercy Street is a slow build. It may not have enough 'drama' for some but I'm finding it very good. I prefer slower paced shows where you get a chance to really get to know the characters. And on that same topic, for all you Downton Abbey fans, try Upstairs/Downstairs. It was the pre-cursor to DA...and in my opinion, the better of the two series.

Hi gowalking - I was fast-tracked through the band process (1 month from first appointment to surgery), told not to eat bread, rice or Pasta for 6 months, told to come in for a fill every couple of months and that was really it. I did very well the first 6 months... Then lost my job, lost my home to foreclosure (2009) and didn't have insurance to cover fills anymore (they were charging $175+ for a fill) and so I didn't follow-up. I ended up living out of suitcases for a couple of years and moved back to Minnesota (all of the surgery/foreclosure, etc happened in Texas). The band failing is more because *I* didn't follow than for any other reason. It's helped me maintain and kept me from gulping my food (I have to chew well if I don't want to experience that stuck feeling) but I need a more aggressive tool. That's why I'm seeking bypass as I hope it will help with my sugar cravings (I actually WANT to dump). Thanks Deb. Sounds like an impossible situation you were dealing with. Plus, I've always had an issue with doctors not giving their patients the info they need. I went to a center of excellence but it was only by being on this site that I really got what I needed to do in order to find success with the band. The NUT was useless. In fact, it was here on BP that I learned that I needed to track and weigh my food..and get as much Water in as possible. I also learned how to use the tricks to deal with the head hunger. Something my surgeon and the office personnel never brought up. Good luck with the revision. I'm rooting for 'ya!.