roundisashape

Those things are like crack! I saw some yesterday and thought maybe it was part of the initiative against childhood obesity. By the time Easter rolls around, the kids won't be able to chew any of it.

It's so worth it to get this done - if there IS a problem, it doesn't necessarily preclude surgery and they can take extra precautions to make sure you come through safely. My surgeon didn't require me to meet with a cardiologist, but I've done so anyway because of my BP and palpitations. He's aware of what I'm trying to do, and knowing he's in the loop makes me feel a lot more comfortable about what I'm jumping into! Best of luck to you

For those like me who want to see it but are too cheap for cable, YouTube has it for $1.99 (or the whole season for $7.99). Finally got to watch it last night and a couple of things struck me. They indicated that she refused to stand up prior to surgery, but that there was no reason she shouldn't have been able to try - yet they operated anyway? In that respect she was right, why expect her to do so afterwards when she wouldn't before? That should have been a prerequisite for someone like her. There WERE signs that she wasn't going to be successful and it felt a little exploitative to do the surgery and continue her segment of the show anyway. The other thing is that she reminded me of a more extreme version of someone that I care for very much, and that bothered me. Made me wonder if perhaps fear wasn't a factor in her choices, though I might be projecting because of what I've heard my family member say. Right now everyone comes "into her bubble" to pay attention to her because she needs help, she hadn't worked in who knows how long and neither had her husband. What happens after she loses weight and becomes mobile? The attention goes away, she and her husband both have to go to work (and it's not easy for people who DO have recent experience to find jobs), the support goes away - I don't think she had any plan for how to handle that. It's also something I've considered as a lifelong fat girl, that it's such a part of my identity that I'm not sure exactly who I'm going to be when that isn't part of my life anymore. Penny probably has no idea who she is underneath either, and that's a bit of a scary thing. Regardless, I hope she gets her crap together for her son - he doesn't deserve a mom who is sick by choice and the abuse he's going to take at school when he gets older because of it.

That's fantastic - I'm glad you're doing so well!

Liz, I'm sorry. The only thing I can say is that now that you've gotten to the point where you're recognizing that what he says isn't right, it might be worth really taking some time to yourself or with a counselor to decide if what you're getting out of your marriage is worth the negativity. I wish you the best.

Thanks for the heads up - so far, Muscle Milk is my favorite!

I'd definitely talk to the surgeon as well. I got essentially the same speech from the PA at my surgeon's office, but the surgeon was very pro-vsg after looking at my records. It might be worth seeing what his opinion is and why, then really sitting down and comparing the pros and cons of both as they relate to YOUR body and lifestyle. I'm of the mindset that you can be successful with any of these surgeries, and you can fail at any of these surgeries, and if you go in with your eyes open and ready to try your best you'll probably be fine either way.

So I'm pre-op, but I HAVE had abdominal surgery before. I'm a very pale redhead that scars / marks easily, and it took a couple of years for the redness to go away. That was 14 years ago, and you can still very clearly see the scar, but it's mostly "skin" colored now.

I think that might be the best "after pants" picture yet! Congratulations on your success, and have fun on your cruise!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

You don't just look great, you look really healthy and strong - fantastic job!

Good luck!!

Thanks, Mooncat! Not yet - next week is my final visit for the supervised weight loss attempt (can't believe it's been 6 months already). I have a nutritionist visit and psych eval to do yet, then they can submit to BCBS. I was thinking about starting to look for some cheap things 1-2 sizes down now just so I have something in my closet - simple stuff like jeans and sweaters/tshirts.

That sounds so awesome! I wish I had a closet full of clothes to shop from, but I've been the same size of fat forever and wear my clothes until they start falling apart. Right now my biggest challenge is trying to make what I have last until after surgery! Congrats on your 34 pound loss - that's fantastic!

I DO know people who changed for the worse, one of my closest friends included - it's taken years for her to become "her" again. It's why I cringe when I see posts from people whose relationships are changing, who seem to put all the blame on the people around them without reflecting on what they might be doing differently too. It's something that worries me a lot as well, as someone who hasn't ever been thin and tended to "sit out" a lot of things I should have experienced by now. That said, I do think that you and I have the advantage of self-awareness. Just acknowledging that we're at risk of getting out of control or becoming someone we might not like very much is half the battle!

One of the sentiments echoed over and over on another board I'm a member at (one for people who are chronically disorganized ) is "motivation follows action". If you can drag yourself to the gym once or twice whether you feel like it or not, the "feeling like it" might come afterwards! You've done a fantastic job so far, and I know you can get reinvested in the process! Best of luck to you

That actually sounds pretty good! As far as getting them to mix, I found mixing them with a tiny amount of liquid almost into a paste first, then slowly mixing in more helps with the clumping. Still disgusting, though .

Hit up google and look for some places that sell sample sizes if you can - that way you're not out much if you don't like one, you can just move on to the next Wish I could help on the strawberry kiwi nectar, but the only way I could get that down was in powder form, like a pixie stick. You might be able to mix some into kool aid to kill the taste, that helped me a little with the lemonade flavor. I used it in place of the sugar. Still not *good*, but it added a familiar taste over top of it.

Can anyone recommend someone to do a psych eval in Baltimore? It's time to schedule my psych eval and nutritionist appointments, and I just heard that the ones at Hopkins are scheduling appointments about 2 months out. I'm trying to avoid a delay if I can help it!

If you're not using a Dr. or OB, do you have access to a nutritionist? It might be worth having a session with one just to help with find the right intake to keep your weight under control and your little one healthy. Best of luck!

The DS was my first choice, I just wasn't able to make it happen with insurance (plus my doc has concerns about previous intestinal surgeries), etc. I've opted for the sleeve for now since I see a lot of people succeeding with it, and I'm going to work it as hard as I can but I still keep one eye on the DS world. It's comforting to know the "other half" of the surgery is still an option later if I need it. Best of luck to everyone who is getting switched!

I'd like to think your grandma just always thought you were so beautiful she can't tell the difference - "Granny Goggles" .

Whoa! You were beautiful before, but you could almost pass for your own daughter now! That's the kind of transformation a lot of us are secretly (or maybe not so secretly, lol) hoping for.

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/hsn/review-finds-weight-loss-surgery-safe-and-effective Interesting that they said the VSG usually resulted in the most weight loss - they didn't mention the DS at all, though, and that disappoints me. I always felt like studies and articles like these should talk about all the options just so people can make the most informed possible decision .

I can't speak to what's better or worse, but Flintstones with Iron are on the list of approved Vitamins my surgeon gave me. I'll be watching the responses you get - the size, taste and price are right , but I wasn't sure either.