JerseyCityGal

I'm six months out. I too tried every diet, medication, etc. I just got fatter. Lose 15, gain back 20, etc.
The sleeve makes you very mindful of how much you are eating. You have to stay on top of what you are eating, preferably with an app. I use MyFitnessPal. That only takes a few minutes a day. Before I eat, I log it in to see the effect it will have on my daily totals. I can see if I need to make a different choice BEFORE I eat. It takes about a week to get in the habit, then it becomes second nature.
The reduced capacity is great. You get full fast. I use 4 oz ramekins to put my food in, and I measure everything. Before I used to pour or scoop as much as I wanted. You will get in the habit of self-control and measuring after you end up throwing food away because you took too much. Your stomach will be like a gas tank. It fits x ounces, and that's it. Overfilling won't do you any good. You don't need to keep going after you are full. You've had enough.
I have experienced hunger all along, and not just in my head. From all the people telling me I would never be hungry again, I figured that was how it was, but I had a different experience. I keep things like cherry tomatoes in a baggie in my purse and I have 2 or 3 when I get hungry. It's very low calorie (I think 50 calories for a whole cup - about 20 of them), so it's under control. I'm not suffering.
You do have to put in effort, but the sleeve is seriously like the difference between taking off a lug nut with your bare hands or using a key wrench. It makes it doable.

I'm six months out. I too tried every diet, medication, etc. I just got fatter. Lose 15, gain back 20, etc.
The sleeve makes you very mindful of how much you are eating. You have to stay on top of what you are eating, preferably with an app. I use MyFitnessPal. That only takes a few minutes a day. Before I eat, I log it in to see the effect it will have on my daily totals. I can see if I need to make a different choice BEFORE I eat. It takes about a week to get in the habit, then it becomes second nature.
The reduced capacity is great. You get full fast. I use 4 oz ramekins to put my food in, and I measure everything. Before I used to pour or scoop as much as I wanted. You will get in the habit of self-control and measuring after you end up throwing food away because you took too much. Your stomach will be like a gas tank. It fits x ounces, and that's it. Overfilling won't do you any good. You don't need to keep going after you are full. You've had enough.
I have experienced hunger all along, and not just in my head. From all the people telling me I would never be hungry again, I figured that was how it was, but I had a different experience. I keep things like cherry tomatoes in a baggie in my purse and I have 2 or 3 when I get hungry. It's very low calorie (I think 50 calories for a whole cup - about 20 of them), so it's under control. I'm not suffering.
You do have to put in effort, but the sleeve is seriously like the difference between taking off a lug nut with your bare hands or using a key wrench. It makes it doable.

You really don't hear what people actually say, do you?
What you were told, by two people who have PCOS - same as you, that they were able to lose weight. PCOS is not an excuse. It's harder, but it can be done. I went swimming every morning for 45 minutes before work, not dog paddling but Olympic size pool laps. Then I hit the gym, with a personal trainer, 5 nights a week. On weekends I literally walked for miles. If you want to lose weight, surgery or not, this is the kind of effort it takes for someone with PCOS. You think it's commendable that you are able to walk. You need to do a heck of a lot more than making it up the steps or the hill to your house to lose weight unless you live on the summit of Mt. Washington and park at the base.
No one said you have no right to be happy or healthy. I've read the thread twice, and there is no such post where you are told this. That's your belief, not what anyone said.
Yes, being almost 300 lbs and 5' 4" is abusing your body. There are thousands of reputable websites that detail what all that excess weight is doing to your body. Everything from increasing your heart attack risk six-fold to wearing out your joints. Even your chances of getting cancer are increased. Would you subject someone you loved to something that would do these things? Nooooo.
Your digestive issues and allergies don't prevent you from eating foods with a lower carb, sugar, fat and calorie content, do they? Never in my life have I seen someone besides you claim that a bagel with butter is a "healthy food choice". bread is not your friend.
For instance, Chickpeas vs Black Beans. You chose chickpeas. 1/2 cup of chickpeas has 269 calories, 4g fat, 45 carbs and 15g of Protein. 1/2 cup of black Beans is 90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 12 carbs and 7g of Protein. You could eat three times as many black beans as chickpeas and still be better off. 45g of carbs for a 1/2 cup serving of anything just will not work if you are trying to lose weight. Your carbs have to be restricted. There isn't anyone who is going to tell you that you can have all the carbs you want and you are going to lose weight. It doesn't work that way. It's like you can't even imagine that there are better choices than the ones you have made.
If you want to lose weight, you will have to change your mindset first, then your habits. You think there is nothing you can learn or be taught because you believe you have a "healthy lifestyle". You don't. Just because you aren't eating a tray of cupcakes at every meal doesn't mean you have made the best choices.
I want to loan you a book, on Kindle. You can use the Kindle app on your phone or computer to read it, you don't need a Kindle. It's by Dr. Duc Vuong. He's the weight loss surgeon that treated TLC's 900 lb man. He wrote a book about Gastric Sleeve Success, and it's great. It explains what you have to change and why, along with explaining the entire sleeve process. If you message me your e-mail address, I'll Kindle lend you the book.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

You really don't hear what people actually say, do you?
What you were told, by two people who have PCOS - same as you, that they were able to lose weight. PCOS is not an excuse. It's harder, but it can be done. I went swimming every morning for 45 minutes before work, not dog paddling but Olympic size pool laps. Then I hit the gym, with a personal trainer, 5 nights a week. On weekends I literally walked for miles. If you want to lose weight, surgery or not, this is the kind of effort it takes for someone with PCOS. You think it's commendable that you are able to walk. You need to do a heck of a lot more than making it up the steps or the hill to your house to lose weight unless you live on the summit of Mt. Washington and park at the base.
No one said you have no right to be happy or healthy. I've read the thread twice, and there is no such post where you are told this. That's your belief, not what anyone said.
Yes, being almost 300 lbs and 5' 4" is abusing your body. There are thousands of reputable websites that detail what all that excess weight is doing to your body. Everything from increasing your heart attack risk six-fold to wearing out your joints. Even your chances of getting cancer are increased. Would you subject someone you loved to something that would do these things? Nooooo.
Your digestive issues and allergies don't prevent you from eating foods with a lower carb, sugar, fat and calorie content, do they? Never in my life have I seen someone besides you claim that a bagel with butter is a "healthy food choice". bread is not your friend.
For instance, Chickpeas vs Black Beans. You chose chickpeas. 1/2 cup of chickpeas has 269 calories, 4g fat, 45 carbs and 15g of Protein. 1/2 cup of black Beans is 90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 12 carbs and 7g of Protein. You could eat three times as many black beans as chickpeas and still be better off. 45g of carbs for a 1/2 cup serving of anything just will not work if you are trying to lose weight. Your carbs have to be restricted. There isn't anyone who is going to tell you that you can have all the carbs you want and you are going to lose weight. It doesn't work that way. It's like you can't even imagine that there are better choices than the ones you have made.
If you want to lose weight, you will have to change your mindset first, then your habits. You think there is nothing you can learn or be taught because you believe you have a "healthy lifestyle". You don't. Just because you aren't eating a tray of cupcakes at every meal doesn't mean you have made the best choices.
I want to loan you a book, on Kindle. You can use the Kindle app on your phone or computer to read it, you don't need a Kindle. It's by Dr. Duc Vuong. He's the weight loss surgeon that treated TLC's 900 lb man. He wrote a book about Gastric Sleeve Success, and it's great. It explains what you have to change and why, along with explaining the entire sleeve process. If you message me your e-mail address, I'll Kindle lend you the book.

You really don't hear what people actually say, do you?
What you were told, by two people who have PCOS - same as you, that they were able to lose weight. PCOS is not an excuse. It's harder, but it can be done. I went swimming every morning for 45 minutes before work, not dog paddling but Olympic size pool laps. Then I hit the gym, with a personal trainer, 5 nights a week. On weekends I literally walked for miles. If you want to lose weight, surgery or not, this is the kind of effort it takes for someone with PCOS. You think it's commendable that you are able to walk. You need to do a heck of a lot more than making it up the steps or the hill to your house to lose weight unless you live on the summit of Mt. Washington and park at the base.
No one said you have no right to be happy or healthy. I've read the thread twice, and there is no such post where you are told this. That's your belief, not what anyone said.
Yes, being almost 300 lbs and 5' 4" is abusing your body. There are thousands of reputable websites that detail what all that excess weight is doing to your body. Everything from increasing your heart attack risk six-fold to wearing out your joints. Even your chances of getting cancer are increased. Would you subject someone you loved to something that would do these things? Nooooo.
Your digestive issues and allergies don't prevent you from eating foods with a lower carb, sugar, fat and calorie content, do they? Never in my life have I seen someone besides you claim that a bagel with butter is a "healthy food choice". bread is not your friend.
For instance, Chickpeas vs Black Beans. You chose chickpeas. 1/2 cup of chickpeas has 269 calories, 4g fat, 45 carbs and 15g of Protein. 1/2 cup of black Beans is 90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 12 carbs and 7g of Protein. You could eat three times as many black beans as chickpeas and still be better off. 45g of carbs for a 1/2 cup serving of anything just will not work if you are trying to lose weight. Your carbs have to be restricted. There isn't anyone who is going to tell you that you can have all the carbs you want and you are going to lose weight. It doesn't work that way. It's like you can't even imagine that there are better choices than the ones you have made.
If you want to lose weight, you will have to change your mindset first, then your habits. You think there is nothing you can learn or be taught because you believe you have a "healthy lifestyle". You don't. Just because you aren't eating a tray of cupcakes at every meal doesn't mean you have made the best choices.
I want to loan you a book, on Kindle. You can use the Kindle app on your phone or computer to read it, you don't need a Kindle. It's by Dr. Duc Vuong. He's the weight loss surgeon that treated TLC's 900 lb man. He wrote a book about Gastric Sleeve Success, and it's great. It explains what you have to change and why, along with explaining the entire sleeve process. If you message me your e-mail address, I'll Kindle lend you the book.

It will break.
I had a six week stall that broke a few weeks ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

That's great.
I didn't get gas either. I bought like 3 boxes of Gas-X and didn't need them at all.

You got some great advice and views from others. Most of us say we wished we had done this sooner! The longer you stay overweight the more problems will arise. Knees will hurt, blood pressure goes up and back will ache etc. 10 years ago the doc said my knees will need to replaced and recommended me to see the WLS surgeon and I backed out cause I did not want the RNY at the time. It was only that or the band. I decided to take the behavior path to learn to eat better etc. my knees got bad enough I can't work because of the kind of job I had. So will be having surgery on the 30th and anticipate knee surgery in 2015. I plan on going back to work when I am healed. I hope you find that time you will be ready. I am ready cause I want a better lifestyle! Good luck with whatever decision you make!

"They" say that many people won't or can't change their lives until they hit rock bottom.
You could be one of those people.
How to hit rock bottom? Keep doing exactly what you're doing now.
You'll get there soon enough.

Fwiw the tax and accounting dork in me loves this post ha

Every day post-surgery isn't unicorns and rainbows when it comes to weight loss.
You are going to stall over and over again. That's the reality of things. As long as you are being honest with yourself about your intake (and by honest I mean tracking on an app and not guesstimating) and activity, you WILL lose weight. You aren't exempt from the laws of physics.
Stalls can be frustrating. Believe me, I know. Besides all the small stalls, I teetered at 200 lbs for a good six weeks. I followed all the tips. Eat more! Eat less! Exercise more! Stop exercising! Then one glorious morning, I stepped on the scale, saw 198, and my stall was broken. Your stall will break too. As will the next, and the one after that and the one after that and the one after that and ........
Just keep your eyes on the prize and keep going.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

The first few weeks when you melt like a snowman in July are so thrilling, lol. It's a great feeling.
Your sleeve is still swollen, so you won't be eating a lot. I had mashed squash, mushroom gravy, avocado, hummus, Tomato Soup, strained Soups, etc. Any fruits and veggies that go in the nutribullet are fine. Don't worry about weight gain, unless you plan on living on hot fudge sauce for the next month, lol. You won't be eating a lot, and everything is going to taste soooo good. I felt like the Queen of NJ after 4 oz of Tomato Soup.
When you go on solids, you will start to know what "full" feels like. My friend bought me some 4 oz ramekins on Amazon.com to put my food in so I would always know what enough was. I still use them.

You do it the same way toddlers do. They have a small stomach, don't eat a lot and stop when they are full. You aren't dieting, it's a complete lifestyle change. You have to learn about nutrition and log every bite that goes in your mouth. The cravings were rough at first, but I got through it. Now I'm not interested in certain foods I used to scarf down.
Seriously? If you had such a "healthy" relationship with your body, you wouldn't weigh close to 300 lbs. What you are is accepting of yourself and the way you look. Not being self-loathing doesn't mean you have a "healthy" relationship with your body. You are living in an abused body. Don't make your husband an excuse. It's extremely rare to find a mentally and emotionally healthy person who goes "ewww" when their partner gets in shape and healthy. What you think you look like in your head right now is not what the rest of the world is seeing. You can save up for plastic surgery. It will be a few years before you lose all the weight, work out to get as much muscle tone and definition as possible and stabilize so you have lots of time.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

Honestly, it just sounds like you are not ready. My head was where yours is. I have always considered myself to be a beautiful full figured healthy woman. I was an all American athlete even though I was heavier than the other athletes. I took the attitude of, "yeah, I may be big, but I'm still better than you, prettier than you, and healthier than you" from those years and applied it for the pas 20 years.
What a complete crock of ****. I believed my own lies. And in the process, lost years off my life, that I may never get back, because of my narcissism and truly unhealthy lifestyle. And guess what, I was once a vegetarian and actually believed that just because I didn't consume meat products, I was still healthier than other people....meanwhile I outweighed others by 100+ pounds.
looking back on things, I often ask myself, "how could I have been so stupid?" Why and when did I brainwash myself into thinking that being 100+ lbs overweight was healthy or sexy." I woke up after learning all the cancers and diseases obese people develop and through surviving thyroid cancer. You have yet to face your own "Come to Jesus" moment. And that is okay as all of us are on our own journeys. I just hope your moment is sooner rather than later.

Every day post-surgery isn't unicorns and rainbows when it comes to weight loss.
You are going to stall over and over again. That's the reality of things. As long as you are being honest with yourself about your intake (and by honest I mean tracking on an app and not guesstimating) and activity, you WILL lose weight. You aren't exempt from the laws of physics.
Stalls can be frustrating. Believe me, I know. Besides all the small stalls, I teetered at 200 lbs for a good six weeks. I followed all the tips. Eat more! Eat less! Exercise more! Stop exercising! Then one glorious morning, I stepped on the scale, saw 198, and my stall was broken. Your stall will break too. As will the next, and the one after that and the one after that and the one after that and ........
Just keep your eyes on the prize and keep going.

I'm six months out.
In the beginning, I found that warm liquids went down easiest, as well as thicker liquids. V-8 juice was good. I used Chike Protein shakes, but mixed them in a blender with ice to make a "shake". I had a terrible time getting down plain Water, and my taste buds couldn't take Crystal Light or anything like that so I plain brothed and Chiked myself to hydration.
If solid food doesn't feel so great, you can mix fruit and veggies in a Nutribullet or Ninja and drink your lunch and dinner