gowalking

Update!! The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on Sunday, January 11th, from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Topics of discussion will be surrounding post holiday 'damage' and how to minimize it heading into the New Year. We will also discuss starting a clothing swap which we think is a handy option to constantly buying clothes in varying sizes...especially for special occasions. Please feel free to PM Lisa or myself if you have any questions or comments and check the link below for the local chapter thread. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304888-ny-nyclong-island/page-14

The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on Sunday, January 11th, from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Topics of discussion will be surrounding post holiday 'damage' and how to minimize it heading into the New Year. We will also discuss starting a clothing swap which we think is a handy option to constantly buying clothes in varying sizes...especially for special occasions.

I'm two years ahead of you all. I started my pre-op diet on December 31, 2012 and was banded January 14, 2013. Good luck to you all!

Hummus has become a staple for me but what has become a real favorite for me is fish. It's so band-friendly and when made well, is just so delicious. It was never a go to food for me but is now.

Just wanted to post an update that there will be a meeting on January 10th. Details in terms of location and time will be forthcoming. Please view the information in the link to the thread below or feel free to PM me or Lisa. Hope to see a nice turnout. All are welcome...pre and post surgery and of course, any WLS procedure. Liz http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304888-ny-nyclong-island/page-14

The thing that matters most about your post is that you celebrated. You participated. That's what it's all about. Having the ability via weight loss, to engage in all that life offers. Everything else is secondary.

Beautiful!

Most people can't imagine it so I've attached a before/after picture so you can see what it looks like to lose that much weight. Good luck to you and know that if I can do it, so can you.

It took nearly 50 pounds lost for me to drop a size or two from 26/28 to maybe 22/24. But once I hit oh...around 100 pounds down, I dropped sizes faster than you can imagine. I was in a size 16 when I lost the first 100 but since then, I've dropped 50 more and gone from size 16 to a 6. Just hang in there...it will happen soon enough.

I wasn't upset because I didn't want to have the surgery at all. I did this completely under duress. If I didn't lose weight, I would have wound up in a wheelchair and then I wouldn't have been able to work. To my utter surprise, the band worked great for me even though I wasn't in a good frame of mind and as you can see from my ticker, I've lost a tremendous amount of weight and I've gotten my life back in the process. It's been like a miracle for me and am more grateful than you could possibly imagine.

Told my gentleman friend earlier today that this New Year's Eve will be very different than years past. I always felt down as another year came to a close but this time, I am so looking forward to 2015 with joy and anticipation and that makes all the difference. This time last year, I was recovering still from the hip surgery and had been through another health issue that took up alot of my time for the first three months of 2014. All these things are hopefully in the past and there are currently no health issues in my life that will require yet another surgery. So, I have my trip to China likely in the fall. My grandson arrives in April and my oldest boy and I are getting along much better which means I spend time with his family again....most importantly, I will get to see my granddaughter a couple of times this year. She plays travel softball and is very good. So much so that she might be scholarship caliber as her mother was. I just enjoy watching her play. 2015 will be a good year and for that, I'm so very grateful. Happy New Year to my BP friends!

Not sure if you're asking me or stay75 but if it's me, my doctor was Christine Ren-Fielding at NYU Bariatric Group. I started the process in July of 2012 and was scheduled for surgery in October. It was postponed till January of 2013 because Sandy hit and NYU was closed for three months with storm damage. My insurance needed three months documentation of doctor-supervised weight loss attempts.

I live in NYC and had my band surgery at NYU. Very happy with the practice and my care there.

Oh boy do I understand your frame of mind. Same thing here. I'm down 150 lbs. and I weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 116-118 lbs. If not for the excess skin, I too would be wearing size 4. People call me skinny and I feel like a fraud. I am thin now...I know that. But I feel like a fat woman in this thin body. I agree with my friend JustWatchMe...think about seeing a therapist. I've been in therapy for a year already and I truly think it's vital for the psyche. Even my bariatric surgeon agrees. I saw her last week and she said I'm not the same person I was when I was obese and professional help is an important component in the journey. Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Oh yes...that's right Alex. You mentioned an area for us to discuss dating based on the interest level when I posted a while back about this topic. How is that going?

After my first husband passed away, I thought the worst thing in the world was to be alone. I found out after being married to my second husband for a few years, that being alone is easy compared to laying in bed next to someone and still feel all alone. Nothing worse than that. I knew he would never make the first move to break up the marriage so I found the strength to do it. Surprisingly we found that living apart was much better for us than being together and we stayed friends long after the marriage ended. All I can say to you is that you must be a strong woman to have tackled you weight issues under difficult circumstances. That tells me you have the strength to tackle anything else you need to in order to improve you life. Talk to your therapist about practical plans and solutions to making the changes you need to. I thought I was weak and pitiful till my therapist laid out my accomplishments and made me realize just how strong I really am. Good luck and feel free to ask for help and support from us. We care and hope to help however we can.

Congrats! What a great way to start 2015 off. There are amazing and wonderful things coming your way. Good luck and keep us posted.

Not sure if this is a resolution or not but my fervent hope/goal is to be this same weight as 2015 comes to a close. I'm expecting this to be a very good year as I am not anticipating any further surgical procedures for a change. A grandson is coming in April and a trip to China is being planned for after the summer. Feeling very happy and grateful as we embark on a new year.

I was banded in 2013 and lost the majority of my weight the first year..about 100 lbs. In 2014, I lost another 50ish lbs. but the amount of weight is secondary to the fact that I continued to lose..even losing around 30 more lbs. than I set as my goal weight. Now it's about maintaining. If I'm still this weight next year, and hopefully for years to come, that's when I'll be able to know I've been successful.

I'm sorry you are in a crappy place just now. It does sound though that you are in the 'zone' and know what you need to do in order to not sabotage your progress. We all go through bad times but the idea is to not turn to food for comfort. I know that tomorrow you might still feel crappy about your situation but at least you won't add to it by going to destructive behaviors. Good for you for knowing this much about yourself and heading to OA to help you get past this struggle. I myself am having a band friendly sandwich for lunch and heading to the pool as there are no doctor appointments to take dad to today and I have the afternoon free. I finished a deliverable not due till after new years, which always makes me feel better...and even though the boyfriend is pissing me off to no end, I refuse to let that push me towards bad decisions. Will sit in the shade, read my book, and swim laps for 20 minutes. Then tomorrow, I can know that I made it through one more day without falling into the food traps we often set for ourselves. Hang in there friend. I'm glad you posted today.

You bet. I've been in therapy for over a year now because of unhappiness as I got smaller and smaller. Turns out there were many underlying issues...isn't there always? But even my bariatric surgeon felt this was a good thing for me as I am nothing like I was 150 lbs. ago. The weight loss is the outward change but the other changes in my life are just as radical. Don't wait till you wind up with a serious drinking issue because you haven't explored the other issues the weight loss has brought to the surface. Good luck and remember that you are not the only one dealing with these feelings. There are more than just the two of us for sure.

Made me smile!!

Was futzing around in the kitchen yesterday morning making coffee and emptying the dishwasher when my dad, who was just sitting at the table reading the paper suddenly picked his head up, stared at me for a bit and said, 'look at my skinny daughter. Wow'. Then he goes back to his reading. My dad has a terrible habit of giving left handed compliments so I was waiting for the zinger but that was it. He just expressed what was likely in his head at that moment, and didn't have any ulterior motives. At least not this time. So rather than try to analyze what he meant, I just took the comment at face value and moved on. Was a nice normal moment for a change..

Happy Birthday Julie. All you need to do is get past these tough times. It may take a few years till this time of the year gets easier, but I promise it will. My late husband's birthday and our anniversary were five days apart...June 18th and June 23rd. It took a long time for that week to not bother me the way it did at the beginning. You have to do what feels right to you but I always wished my husband a happy birthday and a happy anniversary. It always made me feel a little better to acknowledge those days and move on.

You'll do fine Judy. It's scary because it's new but you'll get used to it and I'm sure you will have as much success as I have.