RJ'S/beginning

Think healthy body....So glad things are moving along for you hun!!!! Soon you will be a loser like the rest of us!!!

Scales are for fish! lol

Sometimes I think that you get comments both ways....Too big...too small..You can't win ..You have worked so hard.....I would be sensitive as well....It is a lot of work to do this journey...It is not for the faint of heart....

That said...Listen to your wife's opinion and see yourself for who you have become....Amazing difference I think....

I don't know you at all..But I looked at your pics and you don't look older at all...You look healthier for sure.....

Some people think that they are looking out for you and others are just thoughtless.....

I have lost a lot of weight and still have a lot to lose and people are telling me I look sick and I just say thank you.....Who needs enemies when you have these friends and family...LOL

So I know where you are coming from!

Wow....inspiring for sure..The only problem is trying to change everything anyone has ever said to you that was negative about yourself and finding the new you.

I grew up in a family that measured looks and size..I always came out lacking in both....I grew to believe I was worth nothing and was stupid and any other negative thing you can think of....They always brought up my weight and felt better knowing that they were smaller then me..It made them feel powerful...

Now I am letting that person out that was ridiculed so much through out my life...When I was thin or fat did not matter I was not worth much.....

I am interested in seeing what is left inside of me and how I will learn to see myself....Thank you for your post....I have a long way to go to even feel a little of that about myself!!!!

Wow that is a lot of changes..wait until your looks and body start to change and you have trouble keeping up with it all.

I know myself all the changes have been a surprise to me and rewarding as well..esp....the fact that no one recognizes me...love that one.....A whole new world for you outside the sleeve and a whole new world awaits you with the sleeve..

All the best!!!!!!!!!

LOL...yes I learned a lot of medical terms that I could have spent my entire life not ever knowing....I love the post! Well said! It is a reminder of our frailties as humans.....but may we never give up and never lose sight of the successes we have made over our addiction to food!

Will quote from Fifth Element.."What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"...I laugh every time he says that..I really believe it..There are only a small percentage of people in this world that find life a bowl of cherries...Most of us only get to deal with the pits....

You should be very proud of yourself...Not only have you made a good life for your kids..But you are a survivor.....And now you are looking after you...that will make you even stronger....

It's not your issues that are being censored but your swear words....This forum is here to encourage everyone to continue the journey with help and understanding....As I read your post I put all the swear words in their places....You can say everything you need to say without cursing and all will know you mean business.....

Personally I don't care how you write your feelings out but they have rules on this forum and there is no swearing allowed....not even short handed swear words...lol

You already know the things that caused you to gain weight..You are well on your way!

I hate change as well, but when I gained all that weight I changed then too...Now I am going to let the smaller but stronger me out and kick ass!

Go girl go!!!!

I went cold turkey off of refined sugar....If you crave sugar it is bad for you...you are actually allergic to it....

What I have done is replaced the sugar with maple syrup, agave or coconut sugar...all natural and no Hexane in any of them..... So far so good...I bake my own things so it is easier to replace the sugary things with healthier choices.....

Karen Congratulations on your easy surgery experience....Not everyone gets to have that for their beginning..I know I was one of those horror stories....10 months out now I am doing better...

The crossed the finished line..Sorry girl you have your work cut out for you...This is where the work begins....The struggles, learning a new way of eating. Dealing with why you had to have this in the first place and why you had a food addiction..

I am glad you have a good support system..

But this is a life long change for you and you will find it hard at times...You did this for the right reasons...We all did...But this is not for the faint at heart...This completely changes the way you view almost everything....

So happy for you girl......onward and upward to the new and improved and healthier you!!!!!!!!!

All this is normal...Big changes ahead for you......Looks to me like you have made the decision ....

Go forward to a better and healthier you.

And all the best!

I had everything go wrong that could have possibly gone wrong with the surgery. After spending five months in the hospital after....I almost died..which is the absolute worse scenario...

I do not regret my choice and would do it all over again so that I could feel the way I am starting to feel now.......

There are different size stomachs according to your build, height.just the same as if I was 10 feet tall all my organs would be complementing that size......

Amazing how the body works...Can't imagine having a stomach the size of a football if I were 5 feet tall...

The surgeon will decide when he sees you on the table.......

Some people go through a food funeral....I did it and was very happy I did...I ate things that I knew I would never eat again.....That is why it was a funeral....

Everything you said I have felt...2 Years ago I visited my daughter and had to fly...My hubby quietly asked the stewardess for an extension for the belt...she gave him one and looked at me...That is where everything started to go wrong.....She treated me like dirt the entire 5 hours.....I was so uncomfortable in the seat it was unbelievable .....I will never forget the looks on peoples faces when they looked at me......I know they were thinking that I was.....@#$%^&*%^$#$.....

And that was how I felt about myself too......I hate the laughing and finger pointing and the jokes I endured.....

Now 9 months out...I am acceptably fat...No one even notices me anywhere I go..that is exactly how I like it.......

I hope like you in 3 years I will be still on board working with my wonderful tool...And still going forward and loving life....

Thank you so much for your post!

Last night was the second time since my surgery that I wanted to comfort eat.....I thought I could eat something and it would have no backlash...I thought and thought about it and decided that if I did that I would only be hurting myself...no one else.....

Once a food abuser, always a food abuser......That is how I see myself....So before I take that bite I think long and hard about everything I have been through and the place I am now and so far...no mistakes....

I will make them I know I will....But not last night...one victory for me.....The rest of my life to go!!!

I have had nothing but Slim fast shakes and water for 11 days so far.....It has not been easy, I am hungry all the time..the smell of food cooking whaffs through the house ..and it makes me feel like I am not going to make it..

Then I went to my last pre-op appointment on Tuesday and only lost a few ounces....

They were concerned that my liver was not shrinking enough for the surgery....

They phoned me later and told me it was a go as I had lost 17 lbs from the previous pre-op diet that I was bumped from.....

I wiped the tears of joy from my eyes and continued drinking this disgusting liquid.....

I really think it comes down to mind set...if you are ready...you are ready..if not then figure out why and make the changes......

Remember that you are doing this for you and no one else......remember what you want to become and why you are doing this in the first place....keep it on the frig or close to you to remind yourself...and keep a journal...

And for goodness sake...pat yourself heartily on the back for progressing in any way you can......

You have gone through so much to allow food to stop you in your goal......There is no failing miserably, it was a test run......

Jennabelle is right...I watched this woman on U tube who after 1 year of the sleeve gained 10 lbs in a very short period of time by eating a lot of granola.......she went on a protein liquid diet for a week and then liquid diet for a week and the weight was gone.........Her advice was stay away from granola people...lol.......but it worked. I am not an expert either..but I have remembered what she did in case it ever happens to me.....crossing my fingers...

I get sleeved Nov.6th

Some professionals just do not have a good bed side manner...all he has to do is make sure all is well and the surgeon and the team will look after the rest......I am being sleeved on Nov. 6th...I have had ups and downs over this myself but will go forward as it is my only option for me to get to where I need and want to be......

A lot that happens is how you respond to the surgery yourself......some have an easy time of it...and others don't......being prepared for anything is the key.......

4 hours seems a stretch...my surgeon said he will be in and out in 45 min. I think this guy just wanted to give you the worst possible scenario......4 hours or 45 min....you'll be asleep......you won't know the difference anyway....but you will be on your way....to using the new tool that will help you gain so much freedom.....don't let 1 person frazzle you......you are ready....

I have waited 4 years myself for this and now it is almost here...I don't think I would have been this ready even 2 years ago.......

Remember why your doing this and you will be okay........there is a lot of medicine out there to help with your discomfort and stuff........

Love the comment about the gas issue.........can women even say gas and fart in the same sentence or out loud.......I laughed hard at that...TY Annie!!!!!!

Writing your thoughts out is a good way of releasing the emotions that are locked away in your spirit.......keep a journal......also......gravitate to the things you like to do...if it is reading or walking or whatever........eating is just making things worse....because on top of all the pain, you are feeling horrible about this too....there is no longer any satisfaction for you in eating as a comfort......

I am so sorry for all that has happened to you..you have had more then your fair share of sadness....but eating isn't helping.......you seem like a fighter to me......losing 80 lbs is nothing to sneeze at........

So you have grown and changed......and fighting with yourself over your choices......

Look after yourself too......you need to care about yourself so you can help others and be there for them too....You will go on and come out of the other side of this stronger and a more compassionate person.....

hurting yourself in the process won't change anything that has or is happening.....don't punish yourself for things that are out of your control.....find another way to deal with it........All the best hun!

There is only so much room in the sleeve for food....and if you don't fill it with good stuff like protein, water, veggies and fruit.......then you will be sick...The surgery has also removed the chemical in your body that tells you you are hungry even if you are not truly hungry......eating 5 or 6 meals a day will seem like you are eating all the time.....that is at least what I have been told.......pre-surgery myself here...I think that the sleeve makes you more cautious to eat properly and not out of the desire just to eat for what ever reason....I have a problem with pasta and sweets as well....they are my comfort foods........neither of those will help me in my journey to a smaller me....

People say all the time that the surgery changes your likes and dislikes for certain foods......I hope I really hate sugar...lol.......

I also know how easy it is to roller coaster diet..that is how I got to be this big....for once and for all.....I will do this and for all the right reasons......I will be able to use this tool to help me stick to it and not gain it all back and more......

It is all a mind set....we don't like food to go bad...because we were taught that others did not have as much as we did...so eat up..it stays with us....we have to change our thinking and put food in its rightful place...to nurture our bodies ....not our pain, desires and emotions......

I have always controlled what I ate and how much...I will still be in control....for the process of losing all of this.....I still have the power and I plan on using it to help me to continue to grow into a better me....better place and finally put the real power where it belongs.......to eat to live not live to eat.......

I could not do it before..too many issues....wasn't ready........really had to work on a lot of stuff to get here...now I am here and forward ho I say....engage!!!!!!!

Good luck to you....

I WAS BOOKED FOR SURGERY OCT.2....THEN I GOT BUMPED..NOW IT IS NOV.6TH...NOW I HAVE THE TIME TO FEEL AND OVER THINK EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND ALL THE POSSIBILITIES THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.....

I AM IN A REV.....MY MOTOR IS RUNNING AND I WANT TO PUT IT IN GEAR..I GET TIRED OF OVER WORKING MY BRAIN ON THE WHAT IFS. I AM CONCENTRATING ON THE FUTURE AND WHAT THIS IS GOING TO MEAN TO THE NEW ME ONCE I LET HER OUT OF THIS FLUFFY ME......

LIKE YOU .....I CAN GET CAUGHT UP SO EASILY......BUT..I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND NO MATTER WHAT...FOR ME THE CHOICE I HAVE MADE IS BETTER THEN HOW I FEEL AND MANAGE MY LIFE NOW.....SO WHEN I GET LIKE YOU DO...I SIMPLY REMIND MYSELF OF WHAT PUT ME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHY I WANT TO IMPROVE MYSELF SO MUCH I AM WILLING TO HAVE A SLEEVE DONE...IT IS ABOUT ME AND MY CHOICES AND I CHOSE THIS FOR MY FUTURE.......

YOUR NOT WEIRD...SEEMS NORMAL TO ME......JUST REMIND YOURSELF WHY....AND PUT IT IN GEAR AND GO FORWARD TO A NEW AND BETTER AND HEALTHIER YOU.......THAT'S WHERE I AM NOW.......JUST WANT TO GET GOING.....ALRIGHT ALREADY.......ENGAGE!

Been on liquid diet for 5 days....went today to get pro-op tests done and found out I was bumped off the schedule.......I didn't cry or anything.....I knew the emergency had to be bad becasue we are the last elective surgery they cut...

The good news...I'm down another 10 lbs...oh yah!

They took me off the fluids and I will have to restart them again when I get my new date.........not looking forward to that.....

My surgery is Oct.2.....my pre-op diet consists of 4 Slim Time protein drinks and as much water as I can handle..I really don't get how everyone is complaining when you are eating some real food as well...you need to think of me and my Pre-op diet...you will feel better..

Everything else you stated......I have felt the same way and will for some time yet.....But I was never confident about myself and my looks......many well meaning people saw to that!

I have only told a few people and if they discourage me.....they are out of here!

There is a new me on the horizon......look out every body.....she's going down and making skid marks....this journey is truly for me......I'm scared but ready! I know you are too.....all the best!