BigGirlPanties

Well I am going through a divorce now. I don't know if it is a direct result of my lap band surgery but my husband would make reference to me being a diva . I think he likes it when I was insecure and super overweight. It gave him control but as soon as I got some power and started to feel good about myself. He tried to take me down. He complained about my weight but then still had a problem with me losing it.
I am not having plastic surgery next week. I am having a Tummy Tuck and fat transfer to butt and Lipo. U couldn't be happier about it. He has other insecurity issues . he was never satisfied anyway. It's sad that I am in this situation but I am learning to take Care of myself. He would love to see me gain the weight back but not gonna happen.

Nope not my surgeons office just my primary. We talked about taking 1/2 pills to offset some of the negative side effects. I should be having surgery in Jan (no date set) so I'll be off these pills before then.

Wow, I am very swollen today! Even my tummy feels swollen. I see Dr. Winslow in a couple of hours and will get this ace bandage off and wear a face bra instead. I cannot wait to get the ace bandage off. I feel like I am being choked. Any I am pretty sure I stopped breathing last night three times. I don't think that has to do with the bandage but rather with the pain medication. I was so drugged up that it is hard to tell if that is what was going on or not. But I recall waking up three different times sucking in a whole bunch of air and panting, as if I had apnea. The pain from the lips was so bad that I took more pain meds than I was supposed to take. Kids, don't try this at home!

@@Elode thank you. I always played up my eyes before plastic surgery. Now I play up my lips. I was doing fillers before and the results were great but hurt like heck! By the looks of my lips now, once the swelling goes down I think I shall be left with lips that are kissable and don't need any filler.

@@woo woo Dr. Winslow is tightening me because I had some looseness. It is a revision. I have the incisions inside my ears and behind them. I don't know if I have a neck incision. We really destroy the quality of our skin with massive weight gain and loss. Plus I lost some weight after my face lift. All of it contributed to some loosening. It is wonderful of her to revise me for free. I know many doctors would say it is your own fault for losing weight, or would say that I look fine the way that I am.

If someone could just come to my house while I'm at work and wash, dry, fold and put away alllll of the laundry that's piling up, I would be eternally grateful.

This is how my brain is feeling.......
I need a........
1. personal shopper
2. interior decorator
3 maid
4. chef
5. baker
6. gift wrapper.................
THEN I'LL FEEL BETTER.............

Well, lol-the first time it wasn't that bad...but when I came in for second time it hurt like MAD!!

A few of mine, waiting to lose a lot to get some bigger piecesď

I don't have any tattoos YET. I'm getting a white ink one on the inside of my wrist when I reach my goal. 27 more lbs to go.
Just the outline in white, no shading.

I don't have tattoos yet, but I've designed two that I will get eventually. One is simply the letters LLAP with my surgery date. LLAP is "Live Long and Prosper" which is a Star Trek reference. I'm a big trekkie. That one will be on the inside of my right wrist. The other is a fishing tattoo, as I have a passion for fishing. That one will be on my inside forearm, and about 2 1/2".

I did Aqua Zumba last year because nobody can see my uncoordination under the Water line!

Hi Mel. It sounds like you don't actually have a plan and that's likely much of the problem. Some of the suggestions by other posters are terrific and you should try to follow some or all of them. For now, you should always be prepared with healthy choices. Why you reach for food when you have emotional issues is something that probably means therapy or at least a support group to figure out why you have these behaviors.
I'm banded nearly two years and am both in therapy and always planning my food and food choices so I don't sabotage all the good work I've put in so far.

You fell off the plan...the good thing is that you can hop back on... I found this on the web. Thought I would share it.
For some people, eating is a way to cope with emotions. It can often serve as a sort of “numbing mechanism” in order to avoid feeling certain painful emotions. After bariatric surgery, this can be a painful and unhealthy coping mechanism. You should know that breaking the pattern of eating in response to stress, frustration, or sadness is possible.
Identifying the Emotion
When you experience a strong emotion that leads you to food, stop and identify the emotion you are experiencing. You may open the refrigerator and realize that you feel sad or angry rather than hungry.
Ask for Help When You Need It
Breaking the connection between emotions and food can be difficult. If you feel overwhelmed or out of control, attend a support group meeting or contact your bariatric program’s mental health professional. These two resources can help you identify what’s causing the emotion and provide you with strategies and alternatives to eating.

Embarrassment of the actual activity and how I would look, when I wasn't fat. then when I was fat, embarrassment and shame how I would look doing activity.
Now I don't give a sh@t what anyone thinks. Its my life and I will do what I need to , to stay healthy. You can only look back in regret of how much we allow the outside world to dictate our lives,

food, food, food, I love food, and I got lazy, lazy, lazy. Then I just gave up and said tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow I'll start to diet and exercise. I had every excuse in the book, and I wrote a few myself. I layed blame on everyone and everything but myself.. And when I finally looked at myself and was so ashamed and embarrassed that I just wanted to hide, I got the sleeve. My only regret is not doing it sooner, but then again, I had an excuse for that too! But now I'm on the slow road to a happy and fulfilling life, living not eating, and living is so much more important than eating. For some people eating is more important than living, and loosing their relationship with food is more important that loosing their relationship with life! Just my thoughts!

This string has been very eye opening. I never realized so many of us WLS patients were of normal weight at one time. I was normal weight until second grade. I know that I had a lot of anxiety about going into the second grade, the kind that would cause me to wake up crying in huge middle of the night sobbing my eyes out to my mother. So I assume that I are in response to that. And I just kept ballooning from there.
In 9th grade I was 185 pounds and went to a diet pill doctor and joined a gym and swam and biked. I got down to 120 pounds but I probably was anorexic at some point, eating 100 calories a day. When my appetite came back I leveled off around 145 pounds and stayed at that weight years.
I got into a car accident when I was 19 and could not exercise. Then I became depressed. And I was newly married. I began to gain weight. Then I got pregnant at 21 yrs old and put on another 60 pounds - most of which did not come off.
I struggled with depression and obesity for years. Then when I landed in the hospital with a diagnosis of diabetes and hypertension I knew that I had to do something to save my life. Several months later I had gastric bypass. I was at 285 pounds by then.
I lost 100 pounds and mostly kept it off. But I was still overweight. Finally when I had plastic surgery I lost my excess weight, a combination of the skin removal and diet and exercise. Now I have a normal BMI.
It took a lot of work to straighten myself up. It was not as simple as having a couple of surgeries. I know that I am preaching to the chior here! I had to do the hard work to address the multi facets that contributed to my obesity; it took a long time to do that.

Oh! Hahahaha! I have that one. I read that as Tervis tumbler FILLED with goldfish. I was thinking BAD carb!

I don't have a pic... I guess I should take one...but I'm using the scar cream from InsureNutrition.com so they are barely there

I have been researching yoga as well...have a place to go...just have to get the courage up to get my butt there! But I'm sure I'll have to modify as well, but, I know it will be good for me and help with my RA, etc!

that's my fear...that one bite will start an avalanche of NEEDING chocolate regularly... but, agreed...if you can handle "just a bit" that's great for you...
I do believe we have to find what works for us on a day to day basis or we will not succeed...having an occasional piece of chocolate will not disrupt most of us

snail collection...lol
Pasta is always part of our family/holiday dinners, this year I am making a spaghetti squash bake (tofu mixed with ricotta as well)... my husband and his son love it (they don't know about the tofu)... this way I KNOW I'll have something I can eat and probably something many others will enjoy as well...
But, I agree, these days it's all about friends and family, not the FOOD!
another great article!

snail collection...lol
Pasta is always part of our family/holiday dinners, this year I am making a spaghetti squash bake (tofu mixed with ricotta as well)... my husband and his son love it (they don't know about the tofu)... this way I KNOW I'll have something I can eat and probably something many others will enjoy as well...
But, I agree, these days it's all about friends and family, not the FOOD!
another great article!

Great advice! I especially enjoyed the part about having to listen to the coworkers friends husband talking about his snail collection. I swear that happens at every party (not necessarily about snails, of course), but I will smile and appear interested when it happens now.

The holidays may be the happiest and most exciting time of year, but they can also be the most dangerous for your weight loss and weight loss surgery. It’s hard to resist the holiday treats, which can be everywhere for the entire month of December – if not since before Thanksgiving! Plus, you can easily lose your focus when the family is around and sitting on the couch is more appealing than going for a walk in the rain or snow.


You’ll probably find your own strategies for getting through the holidays without gaining weight and without getting into trouble with your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass or Lap-Band. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Follow Your Weight Loss Surgery Diet Rules
Go back to the basics if you want to stay on track this holiday season.
Portion size rules are still in play. A quarter-cup of mashed sweet potatoes is very different than a few large ladles.
Measure everything you can. When it’s not possible to measure, eyeball the portion sizes.
Enough is enough, and another bite is too much. Stop eating when you’re barely full. It’ll keep you from gaining weight or from getting dumping syndrome or feeling sick.
Choose Protein first, whether it’s turkey, ham, or the egg whites from deviled eggs.< br> Go for vegetables and fruit next, whether it’s salad, roasted veggies, cut raw veggies on a vegetable platter, or a fruit salad.
Keep moving. Make time for your regular workouts. On the days when things get too busy, think about moving as much as possible. Go for walks whenever you can as long as the weather does not involve icy conditions, white-outs or other dangerous situations.

Always Be Prepared
You don’t always know when they’ll happen, but challenging situations are sure to hit. Always be prepared so you can come out on top. For example, you can keep some almonds and yogurt at work so you have a high-protein snack available at any time. That’ll help you stay away from the chocolate-covered raisins on the secretary’s desk.
Also, plan activities that will keep you out of the kitchen. When you’re off work and at home without anything to do, you might find yourself wandering over to the fridge. Keep yourself busy with anything that will keep you away from the fridge, whether it is meal planning, taking a walk, doing needlepoint, or going to the mall.
Make Holiday recipes Healthier
Make healthy substitutes for holiday favorites.
Try broccoli slaw or grated turnips fried in cooking spray instead of potato latkes deep-fried in oil, and serve with apple slices and Greek yogurt instead of sweetened apple sauce and sour cream.
Turkey or ham instead of duck or brisket.
Roasted root vegetables with rosemary or green Beans with almonds instead of green bean casserole.
Roasted sweet potatoes or acorn squash instead of candied yams or sweet potato pie.
Baked apples with cinnamon instead of apple pie.
Hot tea with a cinnamon stick instead of hot cider or spiced hot wine.

Be a Good Guest and Host
How does that help you lose weight? When you’re a guest at someone’s party or event, bring a dish to share. The catch is that you make it a healthy dish. If there’s nothing else healthy for you to eat, you can always keep munching on the dish you brought.
If you’re hosting a holiday party or dinner, you can still serve everyone’s favorite dishes. Just make sure to make some dishes that you can enjoy, too. The following are good party dishes.
Shrimp cocktail
Skewers with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and low-fat mozzarella or feta cheese
Stuffed tomatoes with fat-free cream cheese and olives
Salad with spinach or mixed greens, pistachios, and cranberry vinaigrette
Chicken and vegetable skewers
Roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and sage
Fruit salad

Spoil Yourself
You are someone who is entitled to eat only the very best, and not someone who must eat everything that is available. Think of yourself as picky, not deprived. Unless, of course, you are afraid of dumping syndrome or you have certain food intolerances, you can eat your favorite holiday foods. Just keep the portions small, and choose only the ones you truly want. You’ll feel better deliberately eating a few controlled and measured bites of your aunt’s sausage stuffing than you will if you skip it and later eat a cup of it, plus some mashed potatoes and gravy, because you feel deprived.
Want It When Willpower Runs Thin
Want it. We all run out of willpower around this time of year. Instead, think about your “want power.” It’s not about, “I need to gather the willpower to pass up this cinnamon roll.” It’s about, “I’m going for a walk in about an hour, and I’m going to feel way better during it if my stomach isn’t bugging me because of a cinnamon roll.”
Drink Water. Drink Water.
This tip has so many benefits! Drinking water instead of alcoholic beverages can save tons of calories. Choose water or hot tea instead of cider, hot chocolate, and other caloric drinks.< /p>
There are other reasons to drink water. Sip on water at parties. As long as you’re circulating the room with a glass of water in your hand, you won’t be able to carry and eat from a loaded plate. Plus, your weight loss surgery diet doesn’t let you eat solid food while you’re drinking water. Choose the water over the solid food for most of the party, and you.
Enjoy the Company, or Pretend to
This may be the only time of year you get to see certain friends or family members. Take advantage of it. Focus on them, and not on getting seconds and thirds. You may actually find that you enjoy your holiday events more when you notice the non-food aspects of them.
Socialize even if you don’t like the company, because it’ll keep you from digging into high-calorie food that you don’t need or want. Look at it this way. If someone told you you could lose weight and the only thing you’d have to do is listen to your coworker’s friend’s husband talk about his snail collection for an hour, you’d do it, right? Well, do it.
You can stay healthy this holiday season as long as you focus and plan ahead. Once you do, you’ll feel very proud of yourself, and with good reason. Happy Holidays!