VSGAnn2014

Only you can answer the question: "Why am I holding onto my fat?" I love that you're going to find a counselor to help you answer that question. Short shift to a related topic ("Let's talk about me!"): I found that when I lost the last 25 pounds -- and especially the last 15 pounds -- that that's when I finally lost the fluffy tummy, the arms started to firm up (could NOT believe that would ever happen), the face changed (before that I just looked like a less fat version of the old me -- now I do look different), and that my energy just boomed! So it was the last 25 pounds that made by far the biggest difference in how I feel and look. BTW, that was also when I lost the most dress sizes (from size 14 to size 8). Some of those changes have provoked a little anxiety. But they've also ushered me into a place where I now am productively challenged and having the most fun I had along the entire journey. Not all anxiety is bad for us. Anxiety also often accompanies other feelings, which may be quite positive and enjoyable. Finally, I also found that I have to give myself some time to adjust to this new space. I'm a lot more comfortable here than I was when I first arrived (a few months ago). I expect I'll get even more comfortable in the coming months. It's sort of like moving to a new country -- everything is different: the customs, language, food, fashion, places to shop, neighborhoods, everything! Don't be afraid. You just have to be able to learn new things. Pretty soon you'll feel like a native.

Ignore My Fitness Pal right now. You're in such an abnormal situation that MFP "rules" don't apply at all. Focus only on your Protein and Water for now.

I don't understand why grown women feel they have to tell their mothers about WLS, even though they know the mothers will have a fit. I have always adored my mother. But I've never told her about any decision I've made that I knew would give her anxiety.

LOL! Do you realize how much you're exercising with all that housework? Were you moving / working that hard pre-op? (I certainly wasn't.) Forget the treadmill ... take a victory lap.

LOL! I think it's funny that your psychiatrist is angry with you. You should ask him, "What do you think that's about?"

I dunno if practice makes you perfect. But it makes you better.

I'll bite. Why don't you have a primary care physician?

Something for you to consider: IMHO, given your medical history, you should try to find very experienced bariatric surgeons to work on you. Also, IMHO, you should have your surgery done only at a bariatric "center of excellence" where surgeons have sufficient expertise and experience to qualify for that certification. Here's a little bit about the accreditation here: https://www.advisory.com/research/service-line-strategy-advisor/the-pipeline/2013/asmbs-releases-draft-requirements-for-centers-of-excellence My own surgeon had literally thousands of VSG surgeries under his belt. I think that's one of the reasons that my surgery went so very, very well. Good luck!

@@OKCPirate ... yes, "hey, babe" doesn't work. @@Oregondaisy ... actually, hubby and I lived 700 miles apart when we started chatting online, then talking on the phone, and eventually met each other. As I said, I think it was blind, dumb luck that we met online. We doubt we'd have ever struck up a conversation in real life. On first blush, we just weren't well matched. It was a very long-distance conversation that lasted several months before we met. By sharing so much information (about general topics, not just ourselves) we found out how much we had in common. And can I just get an amen when I say how unreliable first impressions can be in the romance department? Not to mention, in the marriage department!

Whoops! Lol'ing ... hard not to. Yeah, I was also told not to chew gum. I imagine it'll sort itself out. But if not, you'll have an interesting story to tell at the ER. Good luck.

STRONG post! Love it.

Too much of anything (with nothing else) gets boring. My suggestion is to keep adding (as your volume permits) fresh veggies and even a little fruit. See how that goes. But always eat your Protein first. Jim's comment is wise -- if you want protein to taste better, put something else in it besides just meat. Try spices. BBQ it. Cajun blacken it. Put chili powder in it. Or garlic or Thai peanut sauce or other Asian sauces. Those don't have to "cost" a lot of calories, either. I love chili -- will be making another batch today: 1 pound lean ground round 1 15-ounce can of black Beans 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes 1 envelope McCormick chili seasoning. Brown the meat, add the other stuff, cook for half an hour. Serve with sour cream and/or cheddar cheese. Mmm mmm good!

I was sleeved in mid-August 2014. It took me about 11 months to reach my goal ... from 235 pounds to 150 pounds. I lost 20 pounds during the 2.5 months pre-op and lost another 65 pounds in 8.3 months post-op. In the last 2 months I've lost another 5 pounds, down to 145. There's a strange myth around here that "everybody" is supposed to lose weight like a house afire -- like 20-30 pounds a month for months on end. Nope. Doesn't work that way for most folks -- unless you are very large or a guy or a young person (or all three) to start with. Best wishes to you. Just do every day what you're supposed to do that day. You'll get there.

Congrats. That's a great turnaround.

I told only my husband and two close friends who live 1,000 miles away -- in different directions. I knew beforehand, based on things both family members and other close friends said, that they knew nothing about WLS and weren't supportive of it. Just imagine how much time you've sunk into educating yourself about WLS and then consider whether you want to put that much effort into educating every Tom, d**k and Harry you know about WLS. For the record, I've lost / gained weight many times in my life. This time around, my friends / family think I've just finally "succeeded." I've lost 90 pounds in the last year and am 5 pounds under my weight loss goal. Doing great. Feeling good. Looking good. And not having to field any goofy, snarky comments from anyone either.

@@bellabloom I'm glad your weight loss revelation has worked for you and your new boyfriend. Enjoy yourselves. But I gotta say ... the strong psychological projections visible in some posts on this thread got kinda weird. Protip: Those folks whose emotional lives don't duplicate your own emotional life aren't necessarily doing it wrong. They're simply not YOU living YOUR life. They're entitled to make their own emotional decisions about their own circumstances that are different from yours.

Post-op (even in the hospital) I didn't need any help getting up / down / out of bed / into chairs, etc. at all. And I didn't vomit any either. There's a tremendous variation in the recovery experience patients have post-op.

Almost 20 years ago I met and married a man I met on match.com. It was probably blind, dumb luck that we met each other that way, but it certainly gave me a strong impression of what works and what doesn't -- at least about what works for me. The thing that impressed me about this stranger's (now my husband's) initial contact was that he was very courteous. His initial email couldn't have been more than 100 words. He gave me his real name and real contact info right off the bat. That translated as: "I have nothing to hide, and I don't have any weird agendas." In online dating, all you're trying to do initially is to get a conversation started. The conversation you start (if you can get it started) will soon reveal whether there's anything worth talking about. You're not trying to close anything early on. Besides, no matter how many keystrokes you type in your profile you won't get to know the person until you've started a two-way dialogue -- whether it's online or on the phone or in person. My big advice: Don't overwhelm people with too much information up front. Be concise. Be honest. Be polite. BTW, my husband is absolutely perfect for me. It turned out that we are immensely different in style, but incredibly alike in our basic values. Both our differences and our similarities have made us a very successful couple. As Rocky said, "... we fill gaps!" He is also the very best person I know. OKC, I'm sure you're a nice guy. But I'd not have a positive response to your approach to attracting women online. Which just goes to show that it takes all kinds, and no one approach works for everyone. And for the record, I think that Gary Halbert's profile made him sound like the most self-absorbed man in the world. He might have been successful in other arenas, but I'm betting the dude never found a mate.

@GirlOnFire Here's something that might sustain you through your coming WLS journey: "You do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing." -- Amy Poehler, Yes Please Your WLS journey will be a long trip. At times it'll be tough. There will be things you think you can't do. But if you find the courage, you'll find they're not impossible. They're merely hard. And you can make it through. Very best wishes.

Actually, I do judge things all the time. I have never relinquished my right to judge things of all kinds. I think this machine is ridiculous. Women used to use machines like this in the 50s, 60s, 70s. Including me. It didn't do a damned thing for us. Been there. Done it. If you want to change my mind, show me some independent studies that show that ANY of the claims are supported by evidence.

So it jiggles away your fat and cellulite? Again, LOL!

Sorry, I'm no troll. I've had VSG surgery and lost 90 pounds. I'm 5 pounds under my weight goal. Want to know how I did it? I did what my surgeon recommended I do. Da-dah!

How long do you plan to take off work after surgery? A lot of people take two weeks off from work post-op. You are about to have major surgery. It means you need to take care of YOURSELF first. If you're like most folks you aren't going to feel too whippy. How people feel the first week or two post-op varies a lot. A LOT!

Jeez! Eat the damn pudding. Were you this picky when you were gaining weight?

That's the silliest, most arbitrary prediction about WLS outcomes I've ever seen. What if you weighed 350 pounds when you were 18 years old? I'm already 35 pounds under what I weighed at 18. So, no. That's one of those dumb things that gets stuck in your brain and pretends to be an actual fact and, worse, becomes a meaningful standard. Ugh.