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EXACTLY... I will NEVER agree with those who insist that WLS is the EASY way. None of this is EASY.... but it DEFINITELY makes things LESS HARD! And LESS HARD is good... Why would I want to keep doing things the MORE HARD way when there is a LESS HARD way?

So there I was ...330 pounds of exhausted, heavy breathing, high blood pressured, diabetic, sleep apnea laden, shell of his former self humanity. I had taken the "normal" way many times, the slippery slope of hundreds of diets, miracle cures, and sure fire programs only to tumble back down in a heap, more unhealthy than before.
My wife began talking to me about weight loss surgery. She had been up that slope as many times as me and fell down with the same result. I was appalled that she would choose such a drastic step, I volunteered to hold a gun at her head at dinner time... in my mind the same as what she proposed. The batting of her big, beautiful eyes melted me down as it always does and I ended up at an "information" meeting held by the surgeon at our local Center of Excellence bariatric hospital.
My steely resistence melted away when I detected the sound of sound science and saw the many results obtained by the patients there. I came away from the meeting sleeve-minded to the shock and delight of my bride.
Now, a year and a half later, I am free of excess fat, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and all that accompanies them. The only heavy breathing I do is when I run up a steep hill with 2 1/2 pound weights on each foot, carrying a 20 pound kettle bell, full speed, 12 times. Even then I am back to normal breathing before I hit the shower back home. This from a guy that used to compare the steps to the upstairs bedroom with Mt. Everest.
So now I feel guity. It was a lot easier to get the operation than suffer with the effects of obesity. It was easier to make an effective intervention than run down a thousand more dead end streets. It was easier to take a chance on life than taking a dirt nap that odds are would have happened by now.
But, you know, guilt can be earned or slapped on you by ignorant people. The same folks that charge you with the high crime of "taking the easy way out" would take the same route in a heartbeat if they weren't such lilly-livered cowards.
So I will file the guilt of "easiness" away in the same folder with the shock belt I bought some years ago that was supposed to melt away fat but succeeded in just making burn marks on my belly; the folder of dumb ideas.

I sent my husband home. He gets anxious in hospitals and his being anxious was making me anxious, so once I was out of recovery, I told him to leave. It was good because I wasn't feeling up for much, just wanted to sleep, well walk and then sleep, then repeat.
Once I got home I was fine taking care of myself. But I was very lucky to have an unremarkable recovery. I think everyone is different.

Have done a million more but a few I don't see mentioned are
The pre-digested liquid Protein diet which was a bottle of red liquid and you took 2 spoonfuls 3-4 x's a day with NO other food at all. This was late 70's.
The Aspen Diet- was a infomercial in the 80's? where they sent you dry meals in pouches that you added hot Water to. Think oatmeal, grains, etc..
Another infomercial, don't remember the name of it but they sent you 2 inhalers like you would use for stuffy nose and 1 was supposed to supress your appetite, peppermint scent I think. The other one, get this, was supposed to break your habit of eating things that taste good but not good for you. Ex. take a big bit of a brownie, and then take a whiff of the inhaler which basically smelled like crap (literally) and then you would associate brownies with crap:)
Showing my age here!

Chewing and spitting the food out is NOT a good thing to do.
RISKS,
Most report the practice of CHSP becomes “addictive” and difficult to cease.
Because the individual avoids consuming the food through normal means of digestion he/she risks suffering from improper nutrition.
CHSP can lead to ulcers because when food is in the mouth it triggers an acid release in the stomach, which can attack stomach lining when food is not present for digestion.
CHSP behavior can be as physically, emotionally and physiologically negative as severe food restriction and/or binge eating.
Even though the food is being spit out, it is often possible that the person does not lose weight, because
a) some of the calories still make it into one’s system,
those engaged in such behaviors may be prone to erratic eating in addition to CHSP, and/or c) the body reacts in unpredictable ways to the behavior, including releasing insulin into the body, triggered by food’s presence in the mouth.

I could make do with just one cup...

There are study after study that shows that WLS is more beneficial if done earlier...meaning at a lower BMI. I don't agree with gastric banding due to the foreign body, constant follow up, and the growing number of complications, but some surgeons are doing it even in the US at a BMI of 30 due to the studies. In other countries they are already doing VSG at BMI of 30. Hopefully the US will follow soon with insurance covering it. We all should be very aware of all possible complications. Then make the best decision for ourselves and our families or loved ones. VSG will help you to lose your weight. But it won't do all the work for you. It's just the tool to help us. We will still have to do some hard work, following the diet and progressing under DR's orders. The dreaded exercise is still necessary. It's a lifestyle change we all have to be willing to make to get the FULL benefit. You can do as much or as little with it as you see fit. Even low BMIers can lose all their wgt if you do the work.

I am very lucky my husband didn't marry me for my cooking. He says he married me because I'm hot!
I make 1 healthy meal and enough for 2. If my husband doesn't want or like what I'm having he can pick something up or make something for himself. IMHO: He is almost 40, has 2 hands, 2 feet, and quite capable. And, I am his wife, not his mom.

I am very lucky my husband didn't marry me for my cooking. He says he married me because I'm hot!
I make 1 healthy meal and enough for 2. If my husband doesn't want or like what I'm having he can pick something up or make something for himself. IMHO: He is almost 40, has 2 hands, 2 feet, and quite capable. And, I am his wife, not his mom.

Hello!
I'm 5ft. 7 &1/2, had surgery Jan.14, 2013, weighed 200, 33 BMI. (A "light weight" to some)...
However, started a pre-op diet last May 2012, weighing in at 255 with a BMI of 40.
Currently, I'm at 161, 24 BMI (Super YAY!! In the "NORMAL" range)!!! And, I am only 6 lbs. away from my surgeon's suggested weight for me, (16 away from my personal goal of 145).
That means I have lost 41lbs. since surgery. Does that make me sad or feel like a failure to be what others might term as a "slow loser," .... Heck no! I'm off my BP meds, able to jog & cardio hip-hop w/out feeling like I'm about to die, get back into old shoes that were too small for my expansive feet.... Just so many things. Mostly, the knowledge that if I continue making healthy choices I will be able to keep the weight off. That one thing is sincerely a major blessing and relief for me.

I am very lucky my husband didn't marry me for my cooking. He says he married me because I'm hot!
I make 1 healthy meal and enough for 2. If my husband doesn't want or like what I'm having he can pick something up or make something for himself. IMHO: He is almost 40, has 2 hands, 2 feet, and quite capable. And, I am his wife, not his mom.

I am very lucky my husband didn't marry me for my cooking. He says he married me because I'm hot!
I make 1 healthy meal and enough for 2. If my husband doesn't want or like what I'm having he can pick something up or make something for himself. IMHO: He is almost 40, has 2 hands, 2 feet, and quite capable. And, I am his wife, not his mom.

I am sure he knows logically that you will benefit from weight loss via the sleeve. And he may not really understand how the sleeve is different than the band. Still, he is probably scared that your new reality is going to change HIS reality too.
Talk about it now. Don't let it continue. Even if he agrees to disagree with your decision, you need to clearly tell him that this is happening and things will change. You don't need his support, but don't need negativity either.
Glad you are hearing about it now instead of after surgery. Good luck!

I had the same issue, people commenting I looked tired all the time. Ummmm thanks? I did decide I looked a little depleted in my face. Got fillers in the hollows under my eyes, my cheeks, and my smile lines. Feel better. If everything else is on point, it might be an option.

I gel mine and then put them in my Greek yogurt w/little fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, peaches, whatever I have around from the farmers market). I can't even taste that they're in there, but love that they're a superfood.

I admit, some of you definitely have valid points. Positive energy is better than negative energy. But I should probably clarify my thoughts on the matter.
When I made my initial post, I was thinking of family members only. I'm actually only telling about 4 family members, and they're all very deeply Christian. They regularly tell me they're praying to Jesus to speak to me so that I'll finally "grow up" and start believing. As if that's the inevitable eventuality and I have no choice in the matter. So I suppose that, for me personally, it can sometimes feel like a very subtle attack on my way of life for one of these family members to tell me they're praying for me. Of course, I always just reply "thank you, I love you too"and then try desperately to change the subject, haha. (I think I was also mad at them when I posted this because I had only told TWO family members and told them to keep their traps shut, but then suddenly two more family members know, surprise surprise. Dang busybodies.)
This absolutely doesn't apply to strangers or co-workers or anybody else who doesn't know I'm an atheist. With them, I accept the face value positivity of their statement, and move on.
I hope that clears things up, haha.

How do you know they don't mean it or won't do it? You assume and aren't giving people enough credit. How do you know it's ineffective. It's hope, love, and well wishes being sent your way. It's a positive thing.
Take it for what it is at its most basic level. Someone who cares enough to want things to work out well for you.

Dropped 8 heaping bags off at the GoodWill last Sunday. It was hard giving up some of those outfits. (I spent a small fortune on stylish big-girl clothes). But, I will thoroughly enjoy replacing them once I get to goal!

Please do not judge low BMI ers. We all have a story to tell. I am 5'2 and just because I had a lower BMI doesn't mean that I wasn't considered to be obese. That's a hard word to swallow. I went into this with my eyes wide open, I inhaled all of the information, good and bad, that I possibly could and then went forward. Yes, I did have to go to Mexico for the surgery and had no health problems but...my insurance that said I "wasn't heavy enough" for WLS should thank me since I come from a long line of obesity and health problems because of it. Maybe it would be in their best interest to help us "low BMI ers " before it does come to that. I was fortunate enough to have the resources available to me to travel to Mexico and have it done, not everyone does. So, no, I do not regret my decision. I am almost 7 weeks out and may come across regrets down the road, but not yet. I feel terrible for the ones that have had complications with their surgeries as we all went into this trying to better ourselves. I have lost 16.6 lbs in that 6 and a half weeks and feel very good most says. I was tired but with a little Iron in my system I perked right up.

I have found the Chia seeds are most effective if you gel them before mixing them with a Protein Shake or anything else.

I really think you guys misread Grammys post..
She is one if the sweetest most supportive people here and doesn't have a mean bone in her little itty bitty body!

Here is my daughter with Ruby.

Ok I just told my husband that we are getting rid of those clothes today!!