KristiP

Been ages since i've been on - very busy and life just gets in the way! But I'm a Feb sleever, and have been stuck in the 107's (kgs) for about 2 months now. I have lost a total of 25.1kgs, and I am holding steady.
I think considering the number of Feb sleevers who are "stuck" is quite indicative that it's not always calories in/calories out, and that weight isn't in fact always in our control, despite our best efforts. I think the body goes into a shut down/refusal to keep losing at a certain point because it realises that it's lost a good size chunk of itself and it puts on the brakes big time. Because it thinks it's starving or dying. But once it realises it's not starving or dying it relents and the weight loss picks up again, but more slowly.
I was discouraged and starting to think I had "failed" again, until I saw these posts. Now I'm thinking I need to change up my routine a bit and see if I can't get the scale moving down again. so I'm thinking an increase in plain pure Water (since winter started I've been having more things like Decaf black tea, or mint tea - stevia not sugar), and maybe doing the liquid phase a 2-3 days a week. Some of the vloggers on youtube do the liquid phase for a whole week, but I don't know if I can do that - the thought of ingesting one more Protein Shake actually makes me sick to my stomach. I look at my tin of Protein mix and my mouth waters, not in anticipation but like right before you're going to vomit??
Also, I've been lazier since winter came on, so I need to amp up my activity levels. That is probably the largest reason why my losses have stalled. I have been very lazy since end of April/first of May. The good thing is, now that I've lost the 25kgs, I actually do feel heaps better (no more feet, ankle and lower leg swelling.....my knees don't hurt unless I climbs steps or inclines the wrong way......no shortness of breath or issues with stamina although i never did have trouble with that anyway...........) I want to join the local gym near my work, but my role at work has been made redundant, and while I'm still waiting for my end date, I'm not sure if it's the best time to be investing into something I might end up not being able to use (they don't do pay as you go, it's up front for x amount of time and no refunds if you change your mind or whatever).
anyway, I'm glad to hear that everyone, 'stuckages' aside, is doing well. My husband is now wondering if he shouldn't get sleeved as well - has been in a battle with his weight his whole life as well. I don't want to push him, he's sometimes slow to come around to things, but I encourage him to seriously consider it. I think he will, but it will take him some time. I think if I can get my weight loss moving again, it will be the thing that gets him off the fence.

Been ages since i've been on - very busy and life just gets in the way! But I'm a Feb sleever, and have been stuck in the 107's (kgs) for about 2 months now. I have lost a total of 25.1kgs, and I am holding steady.
I think considering the number of Feb sleevers who are "stuck" is quite indicative that it's not always calories in/calories out, and that weight isn't in fact always in our control, despite our best efforts. I think the body goes into a shut down/refusal to keep losing at a certain point because it realises that it's lost a good size chunk of itself and it puts on the brakes big time. Because it thinks it's starving or dying. But once it realises it's not starving or dying it relents and the weight loss picks up again, but more slowly.
I was discouraged and starting to think I had "failed" again, until I saw these posts. Now I'm thinking I need to change up my routine a bit and see if I can't get the scale moving down again. so I'm thinking an increase in plain pure Water (since winter started I've been having more things like Decaf black tea, or mint tea - stevia not sugar), and maybe doing the liquid phase a 2-3 days a week. Some of the vloggers on youtube do the liquid phase for a whole week, but I don't know if I can do that - the thought of ingesting one more Protein Shake actually makes me sick to my stomach. I look at my tin of Protein mix and my mouth waters, not in anticipation but like right before you're going to vomit??
Also, I've been lazier since winter came on, so I need to amp up my activity levels. That is probably the largest reason why my losses have stalled. I have been very lazy since end of April/first of May. The good thing is, now that I've lost the 25kgs, I actually do feel heaps better (no more feet, ankle and lower leg swelling.....my knees don't hurt unless I climbs steps or inclines the wrong way......no shortness of breath or issues with stamina although i never did have trouble with that anyway...........) I want to join the local gym near my work, but my role at work has been made redundant, and while I'm still waiting for my end date, I'm not sure if it's the best time to be investing into something I might end up not being able to use (they don't do pay as you go, it's up front for x amount of time and no refunds if you change your mind or whatever).
anyway, I'm glad to hear that everyone, 'stuckages' aside, is doing well. My husband is now wondering if he shouldn't get sleeved as well - has been in a battle with his weight his whole life as well. I don't want to push him, he's sometimes slow to come around to things, but I encourage him to seriously consider it. I think he will, but it will take him some time. I think if I can get my weight loss moving again, it will be the thing that gets him off the fence.

Been ages since i've been on - very busy and life just gets in the way! But I'm a Feb sleever, and have been stuck in the 107's (kgs) for about 2 months now. I have lost a total of 25.1kgs, and I am holding steady.
I think considering the number of Feb sleevers who are "stuck" is quite indicative that it's not always calories in/calories out, and that weight isn't in fact always in our control, despite our best efforts. I think the body goes into a shut down/refusal to keep losing at a certain point because it realises that it's lost a good size chunk of itself and it puts on the brakes big time. Because it thinks it's starving or dying. But once it realises it's not starving or dying it relents and the weight loss picks up again, but more slowly.
I was discouraged and starting to think I had "failed" again, until I saw these posts. Now I'm thinking I need to change up my routine a bit and see if I can't get the scale moving down again. so I'm thinking an increase in plain pure Water (since winter started I've been having more things like Decaf black tea, or mint tea - stevia not sugar), and maybe doing the liquid phase a 2-3 days a week. Some of the vloggers on youtube do the liquid phase for a whole week, but I don't know if I can do that - the thought of ingesting one more Protein Shake actually makes me sick to my stomach. I look at my tin of Protein mix and my mouth waters, not in anticipation but like right before you're going to vomit??
Also, I've been lazier since winter came on, so I need to amp up my activity levels. That is probably the largest reason why my losses have stalled. I have been very lazy since end of April/first of May. The good thing is, now that I've lost the 25kgs, I actually do feel heaps better (no more feet, ankle and lower leg swelling.....my knees don't hurt unless I climbs steps or inclines the wrong way......no shortness of breath or issues with stamina although i never did have trouble with that anyway...........) I want to join the local gym near my work, but my role at work has been made redundant, and while I'm still waiting for my end date, I'm not sure if it's the best time to be investing into something I might end up not being able to use (they don't do pay as you go, it's up front for x amount of time and no refunds if you change your mind or whatever).
anyway, I'm glad to hear that everyone, 'stuckages' aside, is doing well. My husband is now wondering if he shouldn't get sleeved as well - has been in a battle with his weight his whole life as well. I don't want to push him, he's sometimes slow to come around to things, but I encourage him to seriously consider it. I think he will, but it will take him some time. I think if I can get my weight loss moving again, it will be the thing that gets him off the fence.

TMI WARNING!!:
Yeah I haven't seen my hooey (borrowed that nickname from Scrubs ) without mirror assistance for a loooong time. hope to lose a lt of fat from that area - sorry, but honestly, when I'm just in underwear and looking in the mirror it looks like I've got a Cornish game hen in my underpants! It's embarrassing to look like I've got more junk than my husband! I wear "shape wear" to flatten it out, and any other areas that benefit are just bonus.
I mean you know you've got a problem when you have a camel toe while wearing a skirt! (ok, just exaggerating on that one but still......)
I hate probably 98% of my body - abdominal rolls, side rolls, back rolls, neck rolls, gigantic double chin, sagging belly apron, huge arms, back boobs, under arm boobs, fat and flabby thighs, huge calves....the list is almost endless, but my, uh.....well, my crotch is my biggest issue, the part of me I hate the most.
I refuse to go to the gyno simply because of it. I'm too mortified, and I don't care what anyone says about how they see it all.
See my surgeon on Monday to discuss my surgery on 7 Jan. Woohoo! Can't wait to get my stomach 85% removed!

TMI WARNING!!:
Yeah I haven't seen my hooey (borrowed that nickname from Scrubs ) without mirror assistance for a loooong time. hope to lose a lt of fat from that area - sorry, but honestly, when I'm just in underwear and looking in the mirror it looks like I've got a Cornish game hen in my underpants! It's embarrassing to look like I've got more junk than my husband! I wear "shape wear" to flatten it out, and any other areas that benefit are just bonus.
I mean you know you've got a problem when you have a camel toe while wearing a skirt! (ok, just exaggerating on that one but still......)
I hate probably 98% of my body - abdominal rolls, side rolls, back rolls, neck rolls, gigantic double chin, sagging belly apron, huge arms, back boobs, under arm boobs, fat and flabby thighs, huge calves....the list is almost endless, but my, uh.....well, my crotch is my biggest issue, the part of me I hate the most.
I refuse to go to the gyno simply because of it. I'm too mortified, and I don't care what anyone says about how they see it all.
See my surgeon on Monday to discuss my surgery on 7 Jan. Woohoo! Can't wait to get my stomach 85% removed!

TMI WARNING!!:
Yeah I haven't seen my hooey (borrowed that nickname from Scrubs ) without mirror assistance for a loooong time. hope to lose a lt of fat from that area - sorry, but honestly, when I'm just in underwear and looking in the mirror it looks like I've got a Cornish game hen in my underpants! It's embarrassing to look like I've got more junk than my husband! I wear "shape wear" to flatten it out, and any other areas that benefit are just bonus.
I mean you know you've got a problem when you have a camel toe while wearing a skirt! (ok, just exaggerating on that one but still......)
I hate probably 98% of my body - abdominal rolls, side rolls, back rolls, neck rolls, gigantic double chin, sagging belly apron, huge arms, back boobs, under arm boobs, fat and flabby thighs, huge calves....the list is almost endless, but my, uh.....well, my crotch is my biggest issue, the part of me I hate the most.
I refuse to go to the gyno simply because of it. I'm too mortified, and I don't care what anyone says about how they see it all.
See my surgeon on Monday to discuss my surgery on 7 Jan. Woohoo! Can't wait to get my stomach 85% removed!

Sounds like all us Fab Feb Sleevers are doing fairly well, small (expected?) issues aside.
I'm Type 2 diabetic but wasn't on insulin only met or in, which was actually prescribed for my PCOS. The diabetes was diet and lifestyle controlled, so only changes in that!
I just had a question for any sleevers with obstructive sleep apnea: did your surgeon not allow you to use your cpap machine for a period of time AFTER you'd been sleeved?
I was told by the hospital pre-admissions to be sure to bring my machine because they'd put me in it before taking me back to my room after surgery. But they didn't. And then my surgeon said he didn't want me using it because it would "blow up" my sleeve creating a lot of pressure in a small space. Ok, fair enough, but........my OSA is CHRONIC, like really really bad, and I got zero sleep in hospital. And the nursing staff - I'm sorry but I can not be the first patient you've ever had with OSA. How can you not understand that sticking nasal canulas or a full o2 mask on me is of no help at all if I can't actually get the o2 IN? I can't breath through my nose at the best of times (structural issue, needs correcting) and with the OSA, well, that just goes without saying.
So there I am possibly having drifted into a semi-state of consciousness, and the nurse would come in the middle of the night to check vitals. She sees my pulse ox count is way low, and would shake me awake and ask me to take a lot of deep breathes, while she organized the oxygen. I'd let them stick it on me, they'd come back later, repeat the whole process and ask if I'd been taking it off......because pulse ox was still as low as before! Well DUH!!! I'd try to explain why the oxygen wasn't helping but nobody would have a bar of it. They would turn up the u2 pressure or say 'well it can't hurt'c. No, but it's not much help either. For someone with OSA it's like holding us under Water but expecting us to be able to breath because youre pushing air bubbles through the water. I can't fault the nursing staff on anything, they were as attentive as I could have asked for, but I don't get that none of them seemed to know anything about sleep apnea.
Anyway, on discharge my surgeon said "no cpap until you see me on Monday, and then we'll talk about when you can start using it again." Because apparently my ability to breath while sleeping is an option!
I've had probably a cumulative total of 10 hours of actual sleep since being admitted to hospital on 18th. I'm EXHAUSTED. And irritated. And punchy. Near to tears with fatigue, and my patience has snapped more than not. I have a headache I can't seem to knock, despite regular Panadol and being DEFINITELY hydrated. My brain function is poor, and........I note that my heartbeat is having a lot of irregular beats......eerily like those I had for years before getting my cpap machine.
Anybody else encountered this kind of directive? How did you cope without your machine? At this stage I'm "sleeping" by propping up almost vertically against the headboard. This is fine for a while, but eventually my bum and back start to hurt. I can only hope that my surgeon realizes that I NEED that machine. Hopefully, I will not need it in the future (would happily give it up, if I could) but it's a necessity right now.
Aside from this I'm having no adverse problems with my sleeve and do not have any regrets.

I did the peanut butter thing to but now I'm sick of that flavour too (never thought I'd say that!). The mint could be interesting but to be honest I'm just over the whole sweet thing in its entirety (would be so nice if this is a permanent thing! hahaha).
I'm now pretty much ingesting only savoury/saltier fluids, like chicken noodle Soup broth, beef and veg soup broth......I put some small curd cottage cheese through a food mill and thinned it out with some milk and it kind of tasted like a mild feta (weird I know, but when you're desperate to have anything but something sweet and trying to get some Protein as well you get creative!). Also enjoying Tomato Soup and V8 juice in addition to my warm tea and flavoured (diet mix) waters.

Hi all,
I was sleeved on Monday 18th Feb, and despite my extreme terror that I'd leave the hospital with nothing more than a single hole in my gut with a steri strip over it (my surgeon was seriously doing my head in big time), the surgery went off without a hitch and I'm now back home and doing relatively well. No trouble getting my fluids in, but getting down the Protein Drinks and Soup broth is proving to be only slightly more difficult - I simply do NOT want it. It does't help that I'm so sick of sweet stuff I could barf - and naturally the Protein drinks are all sweet. i have noticed that warm liquids go down 'better' than cold ones; i don't notice that split second ache that I get when i swallow cold stuff. It's not really pain per se, it's just a slight ache, and it only lasts long enough to notice and then its gone.
I have a follow up with my surgeon this Monday coming. I weighed this morning and am actually showing a 3kg gain, but I know it's all the fluids they pumped into me in hospital. I'm not going to worry about it at this stage.
no pain, but I am making sure I maintain my desolvable pandaol doses (how awful is that stuff, anyway?? blegh). still, i was expecting much more discomfort. my incissions are only a little tender, the worst being the one my drain tube was in. since it was pulled until yesterday arvo, it's the least healed of them, so that makes sense to me.

I was on a CPAP for almost five years. I spent the last few months before I got my machine sleeping sitting up in the bathtub. I had all the symptoms you talk about. I had headaches everyday, was foggy headed and eventually, I started falling asleep anytime I sat down. Including at work. I am 18 days out and as of day 8, I no longer need the machine.
They did have me bring my machine to the hospital and they had me use it there and when I went home. No one ever mentioned any danger and I had no Ill effects from the 8 days I used it. Good luck with this. I feel for you because I know how bad it can be.

I am not a medical professional, but I do consider myself a reasonable person with common sense. That being said...
I have never heard of "blowing up" ones sleeve with the CPAP. I wore mine in the hospital and then at home. I know people can swallow air, but we inhale air (and exhale) ALL THE TIME and the CPAP is to keep those airways open! Can't imagine that much air would even travel as far as your stomach because your airways are directing to your lungs.

I had sleeve on 2/20 and have been walking every time I wake. Gas is better still have bubble in mid chest. Drinking more but not hungry at all. Not sure when ill start with broth and Protein Shakes.< /p>

I agree - now that I am at goal I sure don't get many people saying ' oh you should never of had that operation'.
I never worry about what other people think - this was all about me!! Any huge weight loss is never easy and people that say that really have no idea what is involved so I would just laugh it off - or I agree with them and then ask if it is something they ever considered (because I have a wicked streak!).
Of course, if there was any other way we could have lost weight, with the guarantee that it would stay off for life, (because this is all about life!) then we all would have taken that road. As it stands, all the studies show that this is currently one of the only effective treatments for long term weight loss - as told to me by my GP!
Gee - I got on my soap box a bit there!

Hi mini mee,
I am pretty particular to the label stats. I don't see the point of not being, considering the circumstances I will be very soon! It will be nice to shift somemofmthe focus on getting enough rather than just focusing on not having too much.
I'd previously been using Optifast but it's got quite a high number of carbs and not all that much Protein. Doesn't taste bad but the consistency is a little weird; unless you put it in a blender it doesn't incorporate very well and you get these little slimy lumps. And hate the way it LOOKS out of the packet...........don't ask me why but it reminds me of what I empty out of the Dyson canister after I vacuum the beds (yes, I vacuum the beds....even though I use mattress protectors!). lol
Anyway, I still have quite a lot of define left (bought 1kg tub of the stuff) so will want to get close to finishing that before I buy something else. Even on sale it wasn't cheap (sorry but i think considering the whole "obesity epidemic" diet products should be cheaper, not more expensive, than tasty junk/fast food. No wonder there's an epidemic! They hook us and gets addicted to taste, texture, and cost, then heap on the weight shame so we'll buy products that taste fairly gross in comparison, then we give up when we don't get the promised results, go back to the junk, go back on a diet, repeat ad nauseum. It's a vicious cycle.
Sorry......I get on my soap box sometimes.
Anyway, I'm sure these places will run specials again, and I don't want to go out and buy another product I like better and let this one sit there and go to waste. Because it would. Once I find something I like better I never go back to the other product, so I've learned not to kid myself with the whole "it will be my back up". Hahaha
Thanks for the tip off though - I will have to start watching for the adverts and catalogues for specials.

I should takemthis post into my surgeon and say "look! You CAN do it mall in one go, you big fat, i mean, little skinny liar!" lol
However, I already know he would adjust his glasses and say "STAY. OFF. THE. INTERNET!"
**eye roll**

I should takemthis post into my surgeon and say "look! You CAN do it mall in one go, you big fat, i mean, little skinny liar!" lol
However, I already know he would adjust his glasses and say "STAY. OFF. THE. INTERNET!"
**eye roll**

I am so excited for you that you had the band out and the sleeve done in one operation. It's such a relief and should give hope to a few others on this thread hoping to do the same thing in the new future.

Another really good one for Aussies is in Facebook. Calked "Gastric sleevers Australia". It is a closed group for members only. Anyone thinking if being sleeved, is waiting to be sleeved or who has been sleeved can join.

Well firstly yesterday being Tuesday was my weigh in day.....104.8 kgs a total of 5.1 kgs lost on my pre-op diet. Didn't post yesterday because I had band removed and was sleeved yesterday. All good, have been very sleepy since op but should be going home tomorrow morning. My oxygen is quite low and have a temp tonight so hopefully that will sort itself out by the morning. Cheers everyone.

Would like to further state that my comments in my above post make my surgeon out to be a real jerk - and he's not. He's very professional and I know without a doubt I'm in very good hands.
I just that he was schooled in the old ways where certain specialties of the medical professional were taught that they are a god and above reproach. And probably schooled in (professionally and socially) in the idea that shaming, belittling or negative feedback is the best method of motivation when it comes to getting fat people to lose weight. Trouble is, I think for most of us with a weight problem (in particular those of us who have battled weight our whole lives) it's NOT AT ALL motivating. I'd go as far to say that we use it to further reinforce how we already feel about ourselves, and use that experience to continue to abuse ourselves. Well, that has been my experience and what I've read and heard in others. I think it's probably applicable to many here.
But Ive gotten off topic. AGAIN.
I just want to say that anyone who is here looking at posts while searching for a surgeon, please don't discount Dr Blamey because he IS a very excellent surgeon. Just don't expect a warm fuzzy, cuddly working relationship. You won't get that. You'll get facts, which are usually cold and hard, from a well meaning surgeon who doesn't have a sugar coating! Lol
In other news.......
Hanging out to get on the scale tomorrow. I think I might have drooped a couple of kgs, which if I have is AWESOME! And makes me very relieved and very happy and feel like my hard work this last 2 weeks hasnt been for nothing.
And it has been HARD at times. I know y'all know exactly where I'm coming from!
Got my last pre-op with Blamey on 30th Jan, so hoping to have lost most of what I put on after band removal, and then more still in 2 week pre-op Optifast stage.
Right wrapping this up now.
Hope everyone is having a super week. Go out, and make it happen. I will! (stole that from my fav VSG vlogger )

Clearly he's a good surgeon, and I feel completely at ease with him......in the surgical ward. Across the desk is a whole other story. I literally have to take a Valium before going to see him (left over from a stint with seized back muscles).
Then, I get annoyed after every appointment, because I think 'dang, you come to him for help and he passes as much judgement on you as any random person in the street!'. He isn't caustic or hateful.......just....abrupt...... tries to put words in your mouth and implies that he's a better witness to your experiences than you are. It's annoying because if I were actually able to get my weight under control on my own, I'd surely have achieved it by now, and I wouldn't even be there. For Gods sake, I've spent 3/4 of my life (literally!) trying to lose weight. One gets the feeling that he expects you to apologize profusely for taking up his time, despite the fact that you're paying him a pretty handsome sum per visit AND 9 times out of 10 he keeps you waiting an hour or more.......So.......it would be nice if he could exude some semblance of bedside manner.
Doubt it will ever happen, as much as I doubt any of us will earn a "well done!" and a pat on the back.
But like Lila said, it's not what others think of us...it's what WE think of ourselves. We just have to remember it!

Would like to further state that my comments in my above post make my surgeon out to be a real jerk - and he's not. He's very professional and I know without a doubt I'm in very good hands.
I just that he was schooled in the old ways where certain specialties of the medical professional were taught that they are a god and above reproach. And probably schooled in (professionally and socially) in the idea that shaming, belittling or negative feedback is the best method of motivation when it comes to getting fat people to lose weight. Trouble is, I think for most of us with a weight problem (in particular those of us who have battled weight our whole lives) it's NOT AT ALL motivating. I'd go as far to say that we use it to further reinforce how we already feel about ourselves, and use that experience to continue to abuse ourselves. Well, that has been my experience and what I've read and heard in others. I think it's probably applicable to many here.
But Ive gotten off topic. AGAIN.
I just want to say that anyone who is here looking at posts while searching for a surgeon, please don't discount Dr Blamey because he IS a very excellent surgeon. Just don't expect a warm fuzzy, cuddly working relationship. You won't get that. You'll get facts, which are usually cold and hard, from a well meaning surgeon who doesn't have a sugar coating! Lol
In other news.......
Hanging out to get on the scale tomorrow. I think I might have drooped a couple of kgs, which if I have is AWESOME! And makes me very relieved and very happy and feel like my hard work this last 2 weeks hasnt been for nothing.
And it has been HARD at times. I know y'all know exactly where I'm coming from!
Got my last pre-op with Blamey on 30th Jan, so hoping to have lost most of what I put on after band removal, and then more still in 2 week pre-op Optifast stage.
Right wrapping this up now.
Hope everyone is having a super week. Go out, and make it happen. I will! (stole that from my fav VSG vlogger )

Would like to further state that my comments in my above post make my surgeon out to be a real jerk - and he's not. He's very professional and I know without a doubt I'm in very good hands.
I just that he was schooled in the old ways where certain specialties of the medical professional were taught that they are a god and above reproach. And probably schooled in (professionally and socially) in the idea that shaming, belittling or negative feedback is the best method of motivation when it comes to getting fat people to lose weight. Trouble is, I think for most of us with a weight problem (in particular those of us who have battled weight our whole lives) it's NOT AT ALL motivating. I'd go as far to say that we use it to further reinforce how we already feel about ourselves, and use that experience to continue to abuse ourselves. Well, that has been my experience and what I've read and heard in others. I think it's probably applicable to many here.
But Ive gotten off topic. AGAIN.
I just want to say that anyone who is here looking at posts while searching for a surgeon, please don't discount Dr Blamey because he IS a very excellent surgeon. Just don't expect a warm fuzzy, cuddly working relationship. You won't get that. You'll get facts, which are usually cold and hard, from a well meaning surgeon who doesn't have a sugar coating! Lol
In other news.......
Hanging out to get on the scale tomorrow. I think I might have drooped a couple of kgs, which if I have is AWESOME! And makes me very relieved and very happy and feel like my hard work this last 2 weeks hasnt been for nothing.
And it has been HARD at times. I know y'all know exactly where I'm coming from!
Got my last pre-op with Blamey on 30th Jan, so hoping to have lost most of what I put on after band removal, and then more still in 2 week pre-op Optifast stage.
Right wrapping this up now.
Hope everyone is having a super week. Go out, and make it happen. I will! (stole that from my fav VSG vlogger )

Would like to further state that my comments in my above post make my surgeon out to be a real jerk - and he's not. He's very professional and I know without a doubt I'm in very good hands.
I just that he was schooled in the old ways where certain specialties of the medical professional were taught that they are a god and above reproach. And probably schooled in (professionally and socially) in the idea that shaming, belittling or negative feedback is the best method of motivation when it comes to getting fat people to lose weight. Trouble is, I think for most of us with a weight problem (in particular those of us who have battled weight our whole lives) it's NOT AT ALL motivating. I'd go as far to say that we use it to further reinforce how we already feel about ourselves, and use that experience to continue to abuse ourselves. Well, that has been my experience and what I've read and heard in others. I think it's probably applicable to many here.
But Ive gotten off topic. AGAIN.
I just want to say that anyone who is here looking at posts while searching for a surgeon, please don't discount Dr Blamey because he IS a very excellent surgeon. Just don't expect a warm fuzzy, cuddly working relationship. You won't get that. You'll get facts, which are usually cold and hard, from a well meaning surgeon who doesn't have a sugar coating! Lol
In other news.......
Hanging out to get on the scale tomorrow. I think I might have drooped a couple of kgs, which if I have is AWESOME! And makes me very relieved and very happy and feel like my hard work this last 2 weeks hasnt been for nothing.
And it has been HARD at times. I know y'all know exactly where I'm coming from!
Got my last pre-op with Blamey on 30th Jan, so hoping to have lost most of what I put on after band removal, and then more still in 2 week pre-op Optifast stage.
Right wrapping this up now.
Hope everyone is having a super week. Go out, and make it happen. I will! (stole that from my fav VSG vlogger )

Clearly he's a good surgeon, and I feel completely at ease with him......in the surgical ward. Across the desk is a whole other story. I literally have to take a Valium before going to see him (left over from a stint with seized back muscles).
Then, I get annoyed after every appointment, because I think 'dang, you come to him for help and he passes as much judgement on you as any random person in the street!'. He isn't caustic or hateful.......just....abrupt...... tries to put words in your mouth and implies that he's a better witness to your experiences than you are. It's annoying because if I were actually able to get my weight under control on my own, I'd surely have achieved it by now, and I wouldn't even be there. For Gods sake, I've spent 3/4 of my life (literally!) trying to lose weight. One gets the feeling that he expects you to apologize profusely for taking up his time, despite the fact that you're paying him a pretty handsome sum per visit AND 9 times out of 10 he keeps you waiting an hour or more.......So.......it would be nice if he could exude some semblance of bedside manner.
Doubt it will ever happen, as much as I doubt any of us will earn a "well done!" and a pat on the back.
But like Lila said, it's not what others think of us...it's what WE think of ourselves. We just have to remember it!