LilMissDiva Irene

Hello Nikki, You had surgery 6 weeks and 2 days ago. My advice to you is that if you're already eating Cheez-Its you're going to find yourself sabotaging your Honeymoon phase. This is the time where you are going to lose the most weight, and every single cracker you put in your mouth, you are setting yourself that much further back. Take advantage of this special time! Please also know that if you're having trouble now, it never gets any easier. food is extremely addicting and if you have to get some help for it. Go to an OA meeting or pray about it. This journey is never easy and it's also very easy for any of us to tell you "don't do that!", but I think all of us need to realize that food has and did have a hold on us mentally. The physical is only the result. Stay stronger than your addictions and fix it. Only YOU can do that. Take care!

What are your expectations of having WLS, both short term and long term?

Hello Jessica and welcome to BariatricPal, and congrats on your newly sleeved tummy! This journey will have a lot of ups and downs and you have only just begun. Take it easy, and for what it's worth, do not follow in your MIL footsteps. Avoid those types of food for as long as you possibly can. All the best to you!

Thanks Ms. D! I'm glad to be back too. I need the motivation just as much as I can give it.

Welcome Kathy!! It sounds like you are well on your way and getting along great! Keep up the great work and look forward to seeing you around.

Having the VSG completely changed my life. I am a very healthy woman today! I have lost a lot of weight, I wear much smaller clothes... I am super confident in myself whereas I cannot say this before my surgery. I always felt held back... But my life has meaning. I don't think I needed a WLS to finally realize this, but was the path destined to get me here. Life's good, like I always say. All this said, it's your journey and your decision. It's normal to have cold feet. Absolutely! The only thing I'll recommend is while it's good to have a positive outlook for your longtime future - please don't dismiss your everyday positive battles and outcomes. Don't be too eager to lose really fast. Just take each pound and Celebrate them individually and proudly. Best wishes!

For myself I weighed in as a sneak preview. The reason is my usual weigh day is Monday. I lost 2 Lbs last week and desperately want to keep the mojo and momentum going. Well I seen I lost a whole pound a few days early!! It's important to find as many tactics as one can to keep themselves on track. For me, I want to hold on to that one pound loss if anything so it will keep me logging my food and staying on track. Loved the article!

Good FRIDAYYYY Morning Friends. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! May you always find time to tell those you love "I love You" daily. Remember to nurture your own heart everyday too. Choose heart healthy foods and do your cardio!

Hi Bella Yes i am still losing but due to some gains I've had in the last year. I am re logging my food and doing a lite workout routine. It's a life long commitment, thats for sure! Hi Kiap thanks! Thank yoU! I have had a few minimal PSs but no skin removal. Of course I cover the wrinkly skin.. i do have some. I plan to have my bat wings removed and a full body lift someday.

Please see the new continued thread: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/297668-i-want-to-see-before-after-pics-contd/ This thread has gotten quite a response! Great job everyone.

Creating a new thread because the other one has gotten really long. So, here are my before and currents to keep the topic moving. Current as of last week:

Good morning all! I am adding a few new entries: DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true the farther out you are and the close to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

Dear Lisa, my prayers are going out to you for your strength and power of love at this difficult time. Stay strong, but be weak also when you need to. If anything take this time to love your husband and to tell him that. I don't think it's a bad thing to let him know how much he means to you and how difficult it is to be strong for him. I cannot imagine how painful this must be. Hugs.

Checkin in! I lost 3 Lbs since my last weigh in. Yay!

I still drink Protein shakes being 3.5 Year post. I don't "need" them per-se but they are a great snack if I'm hungry and don't want to go crazy eating things I shouldn't. If you can get all your protein in without them then you don't really need them. They're good to have around in a tight spot though.

Hi Bry, I created a new thread for you in the Post Op section. Hopefully more folks will be able to answer your question here.

Um... Sandy? Where did you get the idea that you aren't liked around here? That's silly talk. I've never once heard anyone say a bad thing about you nor any one of us. Not that I'd care really. Usually when someone stands to point the finger at someone else, their thumb is pointing right back at themselves. People will only notice the bad in another that they see in the mirror... etc. So forget them and work on YOU! I'm terribly sorry to hear that you are going through those problems. I will pray for you my WLS sister. Keep taking your supplements and eat well balanced meals. I never would have considered yogurt and granola a bad food. Or bananas, for goodness sake they are chock full of potassium. I eat it and it makes me feel good. Idk... we all have our own thing though. If it works for you then so be it. I'm not sure what's going on with Cheri but I will reach out. I hope she is ok and I'll also pray her well being. For me I guess the name change is just my little way of re-defining myself. I don't want to be known as a "workout crazy woman" because I can't even workout half as much as I used to. I have to do it with two bum knees, so I'll just do the best I can. I just want to be seen as a successful woman who overcame the odds! Getting back to goal in a healthy moderate manner. That's all. Good luck and God bless!! And you surely will see me around. I'm never too far away! Irene I just read another post where you are changing to LMD2. Good for you, and keep up the good work! I changed my name once I hit onederland. Now, I have gained back and need to lose 10 lbs to get there. I joined the Valentine's challenge, my first one really in 2 years and 3 1/2 months. My stomach has bloated out and I am pissed. I get frustrated, get back on here then get on it for a few days, get hungry and it starts all over again. I have worked the 5:2 but, my hubby is living away from me (my bestest friend) due to a promotion, so when he comes home, he BBQ's. he is the main chef, and I want to eat with him and my son who will be leaving soon, to the Air Force. I try to eat small portions, generally skinless chicken breast or tri-tip. Never drink with my meals, BUT lately have been sneaking in, banana with peanut butter or Greek yogurt with granola and dried cranberries. Falling back into some crap eating, recognize it change for a while then here I go again. I swore I was not going to diet after the sleeve but, now I have no choice. I am now thinking liquid diet like before I was sleeved. When the boys eat, I will just go into my room. That is my food issues, I have been hospitalized twice in the past 14 months, most recently with a grand mal seizure. I am taking a medication for my Low potassium, and for seizures for the rest of my life, my driver license was revoked, which has been hard. I am deep into menopause with hot flashes and heart palpating issues regularly, but all in...I am doing fine. Our friend Cheri has had some tough times, and I would like to put energies into good vibes for her - I pray but, if that is not what other folks do, please think positive thoughts for her she has been supportive and given straight forward advise for a long while in this forum. So, all in while I am not the popular kid on the block, I have found in this circle - strange as it may seem, sharing success, failure, encouragement and stories with complete strangers - helps. Maybe small steps but, we all have one common thread - we have lost portions of our stomachs, most likely have suffered co-morbidities and more than likely have in some fashion had to face our habits. I wish you well LilMissDiva2. See you around the board. Sandy

I also saw the episode with the 56 Lbs lady. So sad for her. I don't really watch his show unless it has things like the 56 Lb lady. Other than that he is just promoting all kinds of supplements that no one really needs or scaring us into thinking that drinking apple juice and milk will kill us. He's all about shock value IMPO.

Yep earrings that shine, no necklade and some bangles. You're going to be gorgeous! hair semi up and down.

No. BTDT. I love my sleeve.

I was blessed with big thighs too. And when all the weight was gone I was left with empty fat cells and wrinkly skin. Yuck! My plan included first having the excess fat cells lipo'd which I've already done, and in a few years I'm going to have a full body lift. That will help stretch out the excess skin down there. Other than that, not much but time to allow relasticity will help to get rid of the skin. It is a burden for many of us.

Um, no. In fact I'm a little envious. It took me months to feel back to normal! That said, welcome to the losers bench! For some it never goes away, ever. I'm one of them. 3.5 Years P.Op

I'll never doubt any of you, so please never doubt yourselves. I personally have struggled a lot but nothing can keep me down, except myself. I agree with you Kim, it does feel good sometimes to decompress and not be so obsessive over "I can't have this, oh I shouldn't eat that!" For me it leads me down a path of bingeing. Then self-loathing. Taking one sultry bite of anything just really isn't a bad thing. It's when you take too many bites it is. Higher Power help us all!

Cheers!!

Hi Jane, I totally understand how it sucks to be sidelined. I was stuck for many months though... so it could be worse. I'm barely and finally able to walk normally and it's been 3 months so far. Get this, it's only post op I'm talking about. I'm not talking about all the months I stood waiting for my surgery. -And- may I add I'm getting ready to start working on my other knee now. That said, hunny put your big girl panties on and kick some butt. You know how and what to do, no one here needs to tell you that. Only offer you big hugs and a pat on the back. But after that... get it together.