DeterminedGirl

1. Vsg

2. Total knee replacement

For those of you who have had the first one, how would you schedule these?

My suggestion: make a deal with yourself, two weeks at the gym--then weigh. Two weeks without the gym, then weigh. Let the numbers speak for themselves. Just a thought. That way, no long term I gotta do this, it's two weeks. If it works, then make a deal for two more. Just read about a woman who had VSG and lost 200 pounds "30 seconds at a time." Couldn't commit for longer than that. Now she's walking 5 miles a day. Hope this helps!

Whoa, Crystal--you look great!!!! Thanks so much for sharing--and congratulations!!!!!

Hey, everyone, I'm from Roswell, GA--a north Atlanta suburb. I'm with Paul Macik--thanks to the advice I got on this forum. I'm expecting to be sleeved this spring. Anybody out there? I haven't been on the site in awhile--so I haven't kept up.

You give me such hope.

You look totally fabulous! Congratulations on all your hard work to make it happen!!

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom. You really give me hope....

I'm no expert on this, but I see Dr. Paul Macik at Northside. He's great. If he's not the doctor you're looking for, he'll know someone to recommend. Macik has space on this forum, or you can google him. Hope this helps!

I'm not sure I have an answer here, but two things strike me. One, I've promised myself a million times I'd lose the weight and keep it off...and, I was always going to start tomorrow or Monday or after the holidays or whatever. The FIRST person I need to trust with this surgery is me. I need to build a track record of confidence and integrity with myself. Until then, not telling protects this fragile beginning of trust I have with myself. Two, once you tell, you can't un-ring the bell. It's out there.

The whole decision with me isn't either-or, it's today. Will I tell today? Um, no. Tomorrow? Maybe.

Thanks to ALL of you who took the time and the care to write to me. Each of your answers helped me a lot. I really get that about the sleeve forcing you to turn somewhere other than food for your feelings. Thanks for that. And, boy, is that tough!!!!

Another thing you helped me see is that no matter what accountability structures are in place, the truth is that for many years I've eaten to avoid my feelings or to get a break in the constant MINDFULNESS of each day. MINDLESS eating--that's what I have always done. Now, I have to think.

I think I can do this--despite the wild animal inside that wants to eat everything not nailed down. You give me hope. And courage. THANK YOU ALL. Onward.

Wow. You. Look. FABULOUS. Congratulations!

First, I'm not "post." I'm in month two of the six month pre-approval insurance thing. Second, I started two months ago worried that I might lose too much and disqualify myself for surgery. Turns out, I had nothing to fear. I cannot get myself to track regularly, exercise regularly, eat like a sane person, nothing. Two months ago I thought that I could just get back into the whole weight loss mode pretty easily. Not so. I want this surgery and I see it as a last chance for me. But, mercy, do I have what it takes? Did any of you have this wildness before surgery--or after? Did you make it work? Did the surgery tame you? I'd really appreciate any help here. Thanks so much.

I

Now

No

I'm a Newbie (month two of the six- month insurance required supervised diet before surgery). You look great!!! I kept looking at the before picture and trying to hold that face in my head to match to the current. Couldn't do it. It's been a total transformation. You glow now. I honestly thought, if you were in a witness protection program before, nobody could spot the after.

I'd like to ask a question, but if its too personal, just ignore it. I'd like to know what you feel about the before woman now. Do you remember her? Do you miss her? When you see her picture, what is it like?

Congratulations! And thanks for truly inspiring me today. You give me HOPE. DeterminedGirl.

Hi Everyone,

I'm pretty new to this journey, and I'm in Month ONE of the six-month insurance-required medical diet phase.

I'm two weeks in (and, like, zero weight loss). What's killing me is the meal plan. My eating is totally chaotic, emotionally driven, blah, blah, blah.

Does anyone here PLAN meals for, say, a week at a time? Grocery lists? The whole she-bang? If so, please help! I'm going crazy here..... I keep thinking if I can't do this WITHOUT the sleeve, how will I ever manage counting Protein and Vitamins and stuff WITH the sleeve? I really want to succeed; I just don't know how. (By the way, my NUT said, "Now, you'll need to create a food plan for meals," and I said, "Sure." Help please.)

I have the Fitbit and stuff for tracking. It isn't tracking I need, it's PLANNING.

Thanks, DeterminedGirl

Wow. Thanks so much for sharing....

Whoa. Sorry to have this happen. I just thought that, whatever was said outwardly, there was an inner response that needed to be made as well. I was just trying to speak to that. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I think this is why we have HIPPA laws. We have the option to keep our medical lives private.

It may be for some that "private" feels like "secret" and secret feels wrong or dishonest or whatever. We need a strong, lean, muscular definition of private. Private can also simply be quiet, intimate, and protective.

For me, the decision whether or not to tell resides in two places: 1) how I define myself. You can secretly be a diabetic, a drunk, or a survivor of, say, a brain aneurysm (I should know; I survived that last one), but you cannot secretly be obese. When you make your obesity or weight loss a shared topic you can't control how others will respond--and you know weight and appearance are touchy subjects. You can only control how you'll respond. Figure out what's going to make you feel best about defining yourself and live there. 2) timing. Pictures used to be made in a darkroom. Paper, chemicals and darkness. If you opened the door too quickly the picture was messed up--blurry, over-exposed, useless. I think that's a lot similar to this do-I-tell, don't-I-tell issue. When we open the door too quickly on ourselves our emotions get over-exposed, our self-image gets blurry, and for a while at least, we just feel useless. Did you make a misstep in timing here? Maybe so, but you can't un-ring the bell. None of us are working from our first mistake. We've all made lots and lots of them, and if we live long enough, we'll make lots and lots more.

My advice: remember that it takes a strong, beautiful, courageous person to male the VSG decision. Work from there--not from your dad or Cousin Clueless or Auntie Aggressive or Sister Sass or anybody else. The woman who lost those 50 pounds is a warrior. Big time. Sit quietly and listen to her.

This is great information! Thanks so much for sharing....

Okay that spreadsheet you ssriley sent I totally didn't get. Would you mind trying to send it again? Thanks so much.

For emotional eating, Eating By the Light of the Moon is the best I've read. I'm sure others will reply with other good ones.

Great job making all those soups! I'm in Atlanta where it's like 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity. Soup? Don't think this is the season for it here....

Good luck to you in your journey! Stay in touch. DeterminedGirl

I'm another one who has read so many of your posts and have found your words to be so encouraging. I am so blessed and delighted to read this today!!! What struck me most was that you have learned to say hello and goodbye with strength and, well, class. Goodbye to a dear friend; goodbye to those who cannot support your choice to make positive change; goodbye to whatever the tornado took. Hello to living and giving and being your best self! That is A LOT to learn in a year!!!

And I haven't even gotten around to your weight loss. Wow. Post those pictures, girl. I'm not the only one here waiting to applaud! Congratulations on learning to live life well. DeterminedGirl.

First, I really looked, and I couldn't find a single wrinkle. Just a big smile on a transforming woman. You look fabulous right now--cheering you on for the rest of the journey!!! Great achievement. Congratulations! DeterminedGirl

I just want to add another word of encouragement here. I've read many of your posts--kinda tough to miss a looker in a tux--and you've always been there to cheer others on, give someone a compliment, a kind word, whatever. So, today, when I read that you're four weeks away from your surgery, well,it just really shows how much you've been willing to give to others during your journey. That's pretty inspiring. I'm so glad you're in a beautiful spot that's giving you time to reflect and re-charge.

You're right--peace and tranquility are things we have to carry within. Thanks for reminding me of that and for being so supportive of all of us here. We may have failed in the hunger games alone--but we succeed in the sleeve life together.

Another reason why I'm on this site every single day--and why I'm am a fiercely DeterminedGirl

1. Cart around 100 pounds that don't belong to me;

2. Make sure I have the "right size" pants for the day--I've got,like, six different sizes in my closet;

3. Deny that face in the mirror (who on earth is that fat girl who kinda looks like me?);

4. Think about my weight and the struggles it brings ( heart, clothes, social,etc.) all day every day;

5. Worry that when I do some ordinary thing--like sweep the front walk--that I'm going to pull a muscle and injure myself because I'm so out of shape;

6. See these healthy slim women on television and wonder why I feel like I've never gotten to live my own life (some fatso took it over and is holding me prisoner); and finally,

7. Have THIS as a problem and have to step on scales in front of medical professionals (yup, I've got a problem), and face major surgery to deal with it. I'm trying to say that the other stuff in my life doesn't require removing 85percent of me to fix.

Hot. Totally hot. Congratulations!!!