CoolBreeze

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

Cheri,
Right on! I can't stand listening to the whining if you give a few words of caution, immediately calling posters the MEANIES. How can anyone have the nerve to infer that someone who has experienced complications is nothing but a negative nelly? I've heard posters call the best of the best bullys. It's ridiculous.
I've been on this board for well over a year...and I look forward to the meaningful posts and the banter of those I've come to know via the internet. Those who's stories I followed while they were experiencing the best and worst of scenarios.
I've learned a lot about myself, and this journey....and thank you Cheri for all you add to these forums!!!

I don't think you should feel afraid to post about your post-op concerns or even your pre-op concerns, but you should do a search first to see if there are already other threads about them with useful info. Also, I think that most people in this thread have gotten to the point that they either don't read or won't comment on the particularly annoying threads (I know I have), so even if you do post something that some would rather not deal with answering chances are in your favor that there will be others who will.

My rant, my opinion, right? Before you get started on how unsupportive and not nice I am, and how I should just dodge the posts I don't want to read, I'll kindly tell you to educate yourself on how I typically post and on my contributions to VST. (That's my nice way of saying I don't care what you think and that you shouldn't waste my time or yours telling me how mean I am.)
Because I cannot possibly be the only person so incredibly sick of these posts! Anyone else tired of the whining? I don't mind an occasional vent, but the outright whiny, childish and incredibly annoying posts just make me thankful I'm on VST (and on the other side of the computer) and not in an in-person support group. Because, really, people, this is getting stupid. I am not talking about actual complications or asking a valid question, either. I'm talking about the same cycle of wah-wah-wah about simple things that should have come up with only a few attempts at research.
Let's address a few of these annoyances that keep cropping up:
1) Oh my gosh, it's a travesty but guess what? You are NOT going to lose the weight faster than you put it on. I know - it's heartbreaking. I mean, surgery is supposed to be magical, isn't it? I, for one, got a free unicorn AND a leprechaun with my surgery. I get that you don't want to work at this. Really, I mean, taking advantage of a fraction of the stomach capacity and learning how to eat wisely so you can develop a healthy relationship with food and gosh, to live the rest of your ENTIRE LIFE not obese, not overeating and to have a chance to ditch the bad habits and emotional baggage...that's just way too much to wait for. You should probably just be angry at the world and vent on a public forum about how the surgery has ruined your life because you've only lost 20 pounds in three weeks. I mean, really! Those are some completely shoddy results, if you ask me. Because really, who thinks that a one to two year period of focusing on weight loss to lose the weight for good (especially after fifteen years or more of trying to lose the weight on various failed diets) is worth the time or effort?
2) Surgery hurts. I know, I know. You probably didn't realize that having anesthesia and being flopped around, pumped full of gas, sliced open, having an organ removed, having staples and stitches put in and having drains in your body would actually hurt. But it does, imagine that! I know, in most cases it lasts five to ten days before you're feeling better, but surely your world is ending, your pain is the worst ever and you definitely need to post about it here so we can all give you pats on the head and you can scare the people researching the sleeve away. Be thankful you're not one of the people with a REAL complication causing ACTUAL serious pain. Or maybe you are. We can't tell or guide people to their doctors because there are just so many suffering people posting that it's a challenge to weed out the ones with real issues and the ones who forgot to take their pain pills. I know, we all handle pain differently. But really, a teeny bit of research would help with expectations, wouldn't it? And let's not forget how tired you are post op. Who knew that eating less than 300 calories a day after major surgery and having to really work at staying hydrated would wear you out and make you tired? Ugh, it's completely unreasonable!
3) It's hard to eat when you only have 15% of your stomach. Who knew? I mean, sure, that's why we had surgery, but I know you figured you'd just have a smaller stomach made of cast Iron that could easily tolerate at least half a bacon cheeseburger within a week of your operation. All that sipping (of warm or room temp liquids!), all of that discomfort when you try to shovel in a cup of oatmeal in week three, the challenge of finding Protein you can eat easily, the challenge of finding a shake you actually like - I mean, who knew that was going to be part of the game? Oh wait, what do you mean everyone that actually researched their surgery knew about this stuff? Well, never mind that. Post about it so we can all hear how different and more difficult it is for you, because I'm sure it was a walk in the park for everyone else.
4) I'm sure your heartburn and acid reflux are terribly uncomfortable. It is for all of us. I'm sure the gurgling and healing stomach sounds are annoying and hard to get used to. They were for the rest of us, too. Which is why you should be on a PPI. If you did even a cursory bit of research on the sleeve, I am certain the fact that acid is an issue post op for almost everyone came up. So if you aren't on a PPI (think Prilosec or Nexium - Tums and Pepcid aren't PPIs) you should probably be on one. Even if your surgeon didn't suggest one. And if he/she didn't prescribe one or suggest one, I'd question that surgeon, because this is a known issue post op for nearly every patient. But it's your body and your suffering, so hey, why not be a tiny bit proactive and ASK FOR ONE if one isn't offered? While we're here, you should have done enough research to realize you'd need sublingual B-12, an Iron supplement and Calcium citrate as well as a multi until your doctor does bloodwork and tells you your levels are fine without supplements. I know, it's HARD to take all those pills...it's so annoying, too. But if you don't take them you'll be tired and sluggish and forgetful and won't feel up to par. But you knew that from all your research, I'm sure.
5) I doubt you're starving. Very, very few people do not lose the hunger post op. I have seen a few that struggled with this but they are few and far between. I know, you probably didn't do enough research to realize that you still have ghrelin in your system for a few days post op, or to find that acid gurgling in your belly feels exactly the same way as a rumbling tummy. You probably thought you'd be immune to head hunger, because you thought obesity was only caused by eating too much, not by any type of emotional attachment to food. You probably didn't realize that two or three (or more) weeks on a liquid diet would be challenging, mentally, even if you don't really want food. I know, I know, we already covered that surgery is supposed to be magical and you wanted it to control your feelings about food and your desire to eat for the rest of your life.
6) Diets don't work. Isn't that why you finally opted for surgery? Then why do you insist on treating the way you eat post op like a diet? Why do you insist on carb counting yourself into misery and allowing yourself only enough calories to sustain a ten pound cat instead of an adult human? Why are you surprised, after years of failed dieting, that the desire to binge and graze and eat emotionally show up when you restrict yourself the way you've always done on past diets? Why do you insist on eliminating entire food groups for fear of gaining weight, only to post at one or two years post op that you can't understand why maintenance is so hard and you can't stop eating junk? Oh, that's right, you thought the sleeve was part B of your diet and treated it that way...and got the same success you got from all those diets you did prior to surgery as a result.
7) It's hard to break bad habits and be healthy. We've covered this! Surgery is supposed to be magical - and therefore any emotional eating problems, baggage from your childhood, poor eating habits you're reinforced for years, etc. should just be magically erased when the surgeon slices out 85% of your stomach. I know, you don't understand why this is so hard! I know, you're so frustrated and you regret your surgery because you want to eat and you can't. Why won't your sleeve stop you from eating those Cookies or that big bowl of ice cream? This is completely unfair. I suggest you post about how the surgery is a waste of time and/or money because it didn't do the head work for you, cause this isn't supposed to be hard. It's magic.
8) Some people lose hair and get loose skin? AH, say it isn't so! If losing the weight and being healthy isn't worth a temporary trade off, surgery isn't for you. I know you already have diabetes, high blood pressure and are slowly killing yourself with your obesity, but you have an irrational fear of loose skin and thinning hair and aren't sure if this surgery is for you. I get that. After all, I'd rather die slowly with beautiful hair than compromise my vanity for a few months and extend my life in the process. I mean, really, we have to have our priorities! So please, as soon as you notice some hair falling out, please panic and post about it and ask if anyone else has experienced it. I'm sure you're the very first person it's ever happened to before and you should frantically warn everyone and work yourself into a frenzy envisioning your bald dome if it continues.
9) If you post stupid, tiresome, uneducated or ridiculous things to strangers on the internet, sometimes you get snarky, short or even blunt and (borderline) rude answers. I know, I know. You live in a world where everyone sings kumbaya together with genuine feeling before they start their day on the communal farm. Well, lots of us don't live there or have an infinite amount of patience and tolerance for those that think we should all be the same. I might answer one way and many other someones will answer another way and between all of us, hopefully there will be enough of an answer that anyone with the same question (but who doesn't necessarily have the same expectation on how it will be answered) can put together a solution. And then, in a perfect world, they wouldn't post the same question two threads down less than 24 hours later.
I love VST. I love that I found this site and researched my surgery for ONE WHOLE YEAR before opting to slice out my stomach. I love that it is full of resources, full of true experiences, full of warnings, full of advice for those that bother to search it out. Even four year old threads can still be relevant today! I love being able to come back here and "give back" in a way, by helping people with genuine questions and genuine concerns. I want to cheer other people on their journey and I want to help people approach this surgery in a sane way that will help them not just lose the weight but keep it off forever.
But for goodness' sake I simply have to acknowledge that I am only human and only have a limited amount of GAF when it comes to some of these posts and lately, some of these members.
It shouldn't be exhausting and aggravating to be here! I've been around the military too long, I think - I'm about a step away from yelling at some of these jokers like they need, instead of being diplomatic and polite.
My vent, my opinion, remember? Remember: you can always just skip over my post and not respond if it really bothers you!
~Cheri

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

Phillygirl - you got support right here...VST... I thought the same thing until I came across this site. To me this site is my HOPE DIAMOND, looks good, feel great!! You Are NOT Alone
and the pain - I feel you, but I walk every (not as far as I would like) but with the job that I have I get in at least 2 miles - in stages - but I get it in. Your body will tell you when to go, and it will tell you when to stop, just listen and above all - take YOUR time

WoW Its been a while! I can't believe its been 4 months since my surgery! I remember when I would frequent this page I would come on twenty times a day! I would always wonder why people who are far from surgery date never long on, and BAM i did the same thing! Guess I have been busy living! If any of your remember my post ( i think you can find it in my profile?) I was about 517 lbs last january. Today I weighed myself at 385! A few weeks ago when I was at the critical 399 I nearly fainted. I never thought I would see a 3 again, now I am excited thinking about the day I see a 2! At the surgery I was at about 461 so its been a total of about 76 lbs. Every day gets easier and easier and for anyone even remotely thinking about this surgery, DO IT ! Yes there are times I wish I could "throw down" like I used to but those days long gone.
I remember posting about my trip to disney, and as a side note I was able to go on the haunted mansion without stopping the ride! For anyone who was ever been on it when it played the " the spirits are acting up and the ride will resume soon yada yada" bit, thats when a fat guy like me got on and the bar didnt go down, so it stops the ride! I was shocked when i just sailed past the workers and the ride kept going!
I promised myself I would buy a car at 100 lost, and I did just that, a brand new jeep arctic edition. I am able to go much harder on the treadmill now, and simple things, like tying shoes, to just plain walking to the car are so much easier. I find myself zipping everywhere in almost a light jog. I am guessing its because I am used to lugging around and extra 140+ lbs on me?
Anyhow, I will leave this post just updating all the people who posted last time on my out of surgery post that I am doing fantastic!
I will post some before and after, for new years.

Very Nice! It fits you.

One(derland) feels so Good!! I entered onederland a few day ago and I love it. My weight has not started with a 1 in 30 yrs. Think I'll stay in ONEderland

This is great. There are so many different kinds of recipes here that it's hard to choose. At least now we can eat good tasty foods at any stage and still get in Protein. That is a wonderful thing :wub:

God is so Amazing, So Wonderful...
I hung out Sunday with a friend of mine who was getting rid of some things and donating others to good will.
I told her I needed a rug for my apt. and low & behold she had one for me that she was about to thro out. And not only that, she gave me a CROCK POT, YES! Now I can fix all those recipes I've been seeing here that called for a crock pot.
Friends like my friend (and the ones here), are a gifts from heaven above. I kept saying I was gonna buy a crock pot and the Good Lord said hold on wait a minuet....He provided me with one.
KEEP THOSE - CROCK POT - recipes COMIN'

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

I confess that I am not exercising like I should be either...
I confess that I think about going to Cheesecake Factory and ordering
a chocolate chip cookie dough slice of cheesecake :wub:
I confess I had a fish sandwish from McDonald's last week -
I did not eat the bread tho.. like thats an excuse.
I confess I WANT A CORONA SO BAAAAAAD!!!!
I confess I could tear up a snickers right now.
Now having confessed all this.... I will not go back to where I was...I ate the fish, the rest was in my head.
I have come too far to turn back now. But I do like these confessions.
It felt good to get that off my chest.

Sounds good. Thank you for sharing. Do you have fave already?

I just want you all to do ONE THING. Open your mind to the possibility that you can accomplish whatever goal (within reason) that you want to do. I never got that ... as I got close to my goal weight and size, my mind still hasn't fully "gotten it". But if you think "I can never do that" then you won't. And you can, if only you open your mind to it happening. It takes a plan - probably including working your butt off with exercise at some point, planning or tracking your intakes, maybe Excess skin removal, but you can can can do it.
And fyi, something I never knew... there are smaller lbs discrepancies between the smaller sizes. I could lose or gain 30 lbs and stay in a 16-18. In the smaller sizes, from what I'm told, it's a differential of like 5 lbs. I have not yet tested that theory. I'm still over the moon at getting to/passing my original goal!
Best of luck everyone. I truly wish you that! xx