hinportland

You'll get there. And don't think you have to lose it all before you put yourself out there. I'm only at 50% of my goal and every guy I've gone out with has said they're very pleasantly surprised. They think I'm beautiful! Good luck everyone. This is our time to rule! LOL

To my unsupportive, very soon to be ex husband: I now have 2 boyfriends, and the sex is glorious! Ha!

He made digs about my weight for years, but was opposed to surgery. He believes exercise is the solution, which I agree is a necessary part of weight loss, but not THE solution for everyone. I started talking about looking into the surgery a year ago, asked him to be part of it, but he refused to talk to me about it or support me. So the last time I brought it up I told him I would proceed without him and do it all on my own. My surgery was scheduled when he was going to be out of town. He found out about it the day before he left. He didn't talk to me for the next month and moved out of our bedroom when he returned from his trip. That was 3 months ago. One minute he says he loves me and doesn't want a divorce, the next he doesn't know what he wants. He cringes when I touch him. He does whatever he wants and barely talks to me. I can't take it anymore so I filed for divorce on Tuesday.

My husband and I are divorcing because of it. Hope your outcome is better.

Cuisinart Griddler - easy to clean, reversible sides Food processor

Chicken Walnuts Celery Craisins Sweet relish Red pepper flakes Olive oil mayo or Greek yogurt, your preference S&P I makes wraps for my husband with this recipe. He loves it!

Ok, it is the slowest group, but so what! Half marathon here I come!

Starting Portland Fit on 2/23. Basically the same thing (I think). Goal is half marathon. Not sure I'll get there but will be ecstatic to get to a 5k.

I'm still at the beginning of my journey, but I went shopping for the first time post-op and fit into size 14 jeans! I'm so grateful for this surgery!

How bad is movie theater popcorn without the butter?

Thanks for sharing. The biggest reason I had this surgery was to get healthy. In addition to weight loss, I'm trying to cut out bad things like artificial sweeteners and MSG. FYI, I've heard that drinking fresh veg juice really helps with weight loss.

Really good advice to look at the Celexa. I've had 3 different anti-depressants cause problems. 1 made me feel itchy all over, like my skin was literally crawling, another made me cry all day for no reason, and the third gave me muscular tremors and dizziness, similar to what you're experiencing. I didn't go to the ER, I just stopped the meds (with my Dr's blessing) and the symptoms went away. Might want to find alternative solutions to treat your depression if you're sensitive to anti-depressants like I am. I find exercising every day (just 30 minutes of walking) really helps. Vit B is supposed to be really good for depression, too. Also, find support groups. There's a lot of power in being to relate to other people with similar problems. Last, try volunteering. You can't help but feel better about yourself when you're helping people less fortunate than you. Good luck with everything!

My grocery bill is so much cheaper, too! And if I eat out, I have an extra 5+ meals to help get me through week. I don't have to buy new clothes because everything is too tight, instead I just pull the smaller clothes out from storage, and buy new if I want to, not cause I have to. I'm having fun experimenting with new recipes. I have more energy. I have more motivation to exercise. My skin looks better. My hair looks better. Everything is better now since the surgery. :-)

It's frustrating when you see such a dramatic drop right after surgery and then it stops. It's completely normal. I lost 15 lbs the first 2 weeks, then had a 3 week stall. I'm 7 weeks out now, and I lose about 2 1/2-3 1/2 lbs per week pretty consistently, but I don't see weight loss every day. Sometimes it's 4 or 5 days in between. Have patience, and if you can, only weigh in once a week (hard, I know). Slow and steady wins the race. Besides, when have we horizontally challenged ever been able to lose 27 lbs in 7 weeks? Be grateful for these small victories. :-)

I confess that I can't give up carbs (but I'm still losing >3 lbs per week). I confess that though I try to drink 100 oz water a day, some days I'm lucky to get in 60. I confess that I don't push myself at the gym as much as I should. I confess that I started smoking again when my husband decided to separate because I had this surgery. I confess that I am addicted to weighing myself everyday. I confess that I rarely get the 60-80 g protein per day that they want me to. I confess that I'm having fun trying carb alternatives (like cauliflower pizza crust) and am pleasantly surprised by how good they taste. I confess that I, too, made up a story to tell the world because I didn't want everyone judging me like my husband does. I confess that I look in the mirror and think, wow, you're kinda pretty. I confess that I dream about having sweet, steamy, romantic, dirty sex! I confess that I cannot wait to shop in the junior section. I confess that I'm so grateful for this surgery, it really is changing my life for the better!

I've seen recipes for cauliflower crust, wonder how cauliflower chips would be. Anyone ever try?

Also, my sister has lap band and she's had a lot of problems. Lots of vomiting, then stomach swelling, she has to have fluid put in and taken out all the time (with co-pay). And in 2 years she's only lost half the weight. I'm doing great with the sleeve. Only 6 weeks out, but no complications. I actually feel really good. I've been going to the gym since 4 days post-op. Good luck with your decision.

I had mine at OHSU with Dr Deveney. Don't know if its a Center of Excellence, but the whole experience was great. The staff were so kind and helpful, from the pre-op, to surgery, to release. And Dr Deveney is gifted. I've had none of the problems I hear about, other than acid reflux, which I had before the surgery. Probably the best hospital experience I've ever had.