gowalking

All I can do is add to the accolades. It's a beautiful picture of you and your daughter. I'm sure that you will both treasure this and all future photos. It's true....we want those memories and the pictures are wonderful to have and look through. Make sure you take many more.

ahh...OK. didn't realize you were being sleeved. that makes more sense now. I was banded and it's less invasive....which means less time in the hospital.

Hello thesuse. I was banded at NYU and by Dr. Ren. Bring your credit card and any ID you need along with some cash if you want. Or pay the cab with your credit card if you don't want to bring cash. They will lock it all up for you when you are registered. Don't worry about that. Can I ask why you are staying a day or two? I stayed overnight but I had mobility issues and they wanted to make sure I could walk after the surgery so they kept me and I walked with the nurses assisting me.

Happy Father's Day to all the great guys on this forum. No matter what gifts you get today, remember that you've given your children the best gift...a healthier you. Have a great day today!!

Congratulations! I've lost about the same as you have and my whole life has changed for the better. I am so happy that I had the surgery. Glad to see that you are no longer a lurker but an active member of our community. Successful stories are so important for those who are also doing well, but for those who are also struggling so they can know that it can be done.

It's one of the many reasons I don't watch nearly the amount of TV I used to. Besides...there's so much more to do now that I have my mobility back.

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Hi Colleen. Welcome to soon to be banded life. You are right...this is a new start to a better life for both of you. If you are not homebound, try taking a walk together....or maybe take a drive if that's better and sit by the beach or in a park and watch the world go by. Or go to a movie together. Whatever it is, make the day about your husband and yourself and not about the food. I'm almost a year and a half banded and my life is so much better...there's no comparison to before I lost the weight. I love food but it's no longer the focus of my life and I'm so so much happier now. Good luck and please keep us posted on your journey.

The BBB has given it a very poor rating. I checked into it and there are tons of complaints. I figured since it's my face, I won't take any shortcuts and will get the name of a surgeon from my bariatric group. It will cost me, but like I said...it's my face and I can't take any more chances than necessary.

I decided last night to start my list of clothing to take on my cruise next month and when I was done, it was pretty long. I looked at it again but thought I would use most everything on it and didn't know what to remove. So I decided to see what would fit and what wouldn't in my suitcase. Well guess what? Everything fit. At first I couldn't figure out why because I recall clearly in years past that packing was often a challenge in terms of being able to fit everything and then it hit me... Everything fit because my clothes are so much smaller now. I've been aware of this on some level for a while now especially when I put my bathing suit into the spin dryer at the Y. It used to be so difficult to get the suit in there without some of it getting caught and maybe tearing. These days, I can fit two of my suits in that little space because there's so much more room now. So...as I sat there looking at my full, but easily closed suitcase, I decided I'm going to bring everything and I'll wear it all....even if I have to change outfits two or three times in a day to do it...

Just wanted to post on the main forum a big thank you to the folks who came out yesterday and made our first BariatricPal Support Group a great success. Thanks as well to Lisa for her dedication and organizational skills. And thanks to Alex for attending and giving us a great insight into what it means to live a normal, regular life as a person who had WLS. I must say that I'm truly inspired by all of you. Here's a picture of Lisa and me with the wonderful poster she and her husband Ken made. The poster itself is a work of art, and the pictures on it, also works of art in terms of living healthier lives.

Same here! It was wonderful meeting everyone. Thanks so much to Lisa for all her help to make the meeting a great success. Thanks to Alex as well for joining us and giving his insight as a long time bandster. Looking forward to the next support group.

No...you're not alone. I hit 'goal' in March and haven't changed anything. I've dropped another 11 lbs. but don't expect to lose much more...especially since I also have alot of loose skin. I'll probably have plastic surgery in the future but for now, I have to deal with what is....and what is is that I look much better in clothes than out of them. But as another poster said, better to be smaller with loose skin than heavier with no loose skin. It is what it is I guess and I'll do the best I can till I can get some surgery. First on my list is to get rid of the turkey neck.

Hi there. I used the same practice as you did. I didn't use Dr. Schwack, I used Dr. Ren. Have you spoken to any of the nutritionists in the practice? I spoke to Despina and she gave me the best advice. She said to eat like I was on Weight Watchers and I did. I eat 3 oz. Protein, 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup carbs for lunch and dinner. As a man, you would obviously eat more than I do but in my daily intake, I never exceeded 1,150 calories and I plugged everything I ate into myfitnesspal. I lost 125+ lbs. in less that 18 months. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. Maybe I can help.

Many of us had hernia repairs when we were banded.

Was out to dinner with four friends last night. I have the band, and another friend is newly sleeved...about three months out. No one at the table knew either of us had WLS and I was a little concerned for my sleeved friend as this was newer to her. The first thing I did was pick a restaurant that was known for it's fish. I knew she and I would be able to eat fish without any issues. Then I suggested last night that we order dishes to share and all agreed. I knew this would allow us to take what we wanted rather than have a full entree sitting in front of us. Well...it worked out great. First of all, no one (as usual) was paying attention to how anyone else was eating. I came to realize that fairly quickly after being banded. Second...I made sure we had veggies on the table and a carb as well so we could choose from a balanced selection. For those with WLS who are faced with eating out, try to make some suggestions as I did regarding the cuisine and ordering, and you will find that your evening (or afternoon) will be positive rather than worrying about whether or not you can enjoy the experience.

Oh, I miss you too!

i will never be (*skinny or thin*) but i will be healthy... when you reached a point as i did (cant walk hardly, cant wipe your ass) being skinny or thin doesnt really matter......healthy is what matters...and by me doing that, i can walk, and hell yeah wear my sexy as f**k shoes again its about health....in reality Ah CG...we are sisters for sure. I'm reading these posts and wondering if anyone is going to mention a goal that has nothing to do with dress size. I'm right there with you. I can walk again...no more cane, no more staring at a future that included needing a wheelchair. I look perfectly normal..in fact I know I'm often one of the smallest in the room these days. Sexy....maybe? But I'll take pretty for now...and I get that all the time, especially at work...Oh, what a pretty dress, Lizzy, you look so pretty today, and other compliments as well. I'm not invisible anymore. Odd how the bigger you are, the more invisible you are but it's true. Better invisible than being stared at...and I'm sure I was stared at plenty. My goal weight was 150 lbs. I'm about 10 lbs. less than that but it's just numbers. If I ever get that TT, I'll probably drop another 10 lbs. and probably fit into that size 6. But right now, I think I look pretty darn good in an 8/10.

I would tell my pre-band self just one thing. That it's all worth it.

I'm nearly 18 months out and I still weigh and measure everything at home. Sometimes I don't feel the satiety right away so I make sure I know when to stop. I can eyeball just fine when I'm out to dinner or just not at home. You are correct, we all seem to have different ways of doing this. You will find what works for you. Good luck!

Thanks for sharing your story Jim. It is inspiring and so are you. Best to you and Kelly

I just stay away from anything with carbonation...no tonic or club soda. I've basically stuck with wine. Less calories and no fizz. I'm actually finding that I like a glass of wine with a meal especially since it doesn't give me heartburn anymore. In fact, nothing gives me heartburn anymore than goodness.

Brenda...sweetie...talk to your surgeon. That's what he/she is there for. I've not had any fills so I can't say for sure but maybe you are in need of one. If you are in proper restriction, you may need to discuss how to become aware of satiety rather than fullness. It's not always easy as we are overeaters and haven't learned how to eat like a naturally thin person. It takes work, and really and truly listening and looking for the signs that tell you that you are done. Oh, and regardless of your current struggles, you are not a failure. You've lost 36 pounds and 15 inches. That's not anything to be ashamed of, it's something to be proud of. Start a new thread with the same thing you wrote in this thread and you'll get lots of advice from the folks here on this site.

that's adorable.

I had a huge hematoma on the right hip after the replacement surgery. It was like there was a softball under my skin so I'm not surprised you can feel something as well.