SwanRose

I was told (after surgery) by a very overweight woman (eating a Chick-Fil-A sand which) that "protein makes you fat"...

My aunt told me one time "Why don't you just lose 30 pounds!"
Like, DUH! Why didn't I think of that?!?

Just for fun
What's the stupidest bit of weight loss advice you've been given by somebody who 'just doesn't understand'?
A few years ago a guy I knew told me I should learn to play chess because it would teach me the mental discipline I needed to lose weight.
He was an odd guy. He used the word discipline a lot in conversation - I never wanted to know why!
Anyway, I told him chess is the most boring game in creation and I'd rather watch paint dry. (Apologies to any avid chess players out there.)

Just for fun
What's the stupidest bit of weight loss advice you've been given by somebody who 'just doesn't understand'?
A few years ago a guy I knew told me I should learn to play chess because it would teach me the mental discipline I needed to lose weight.
He was an odd guy. He used the word discipline a lot in conversation - I never wanted to know why!
Anyway, I told him chess is the most boring game in creation and I'd rather watch paint dry. (Apologies to any avid chess players out there.)

Just for fun
What's the stupidest bit of weight loss advice you've been given by somebody who 'just doesn't understand'?
A few years ago a guy I knew told me I should learn to play chess because it would teach me the mental discipline I needed to lose weight.
He was an odd guy. He used the word discipline a lot in conversation - I never wanted to know why!
Anyway, I told him chess is the most boring game in creation and I'd rather watch paint dry. (Apologies to any avid chess players out there.)

Just for fun
What's the stupidest bit of weight loss advice you've been given by somebody who 'just doesn't understand'?
A few years ago a guy I knew told me I should learn to play chess because it would teach me the mental discipline I needed to lose weight.
He was an odd guy. He used the word discipline a lot in conversation - I never wanted to know why!
Anyway, I told him chess is the most boring game in creation and I'd rather watch paint dry. (Apologies to any avid chess players out there.)

Thank you very much, everybody, for the encouraging words. You're all completely right - I should just go for it!
I'm going to enter, and I'll run if I can, or walk, or a bit of both. They're not going to send me home in disgrace if I slow to a walk at times! I do swim and ride the stationary bike regularly, so hopefully I'll be able to build up enough stamina to see me through.
One more quick question for you experienced runners/walkers - are you able to stay hydrated during exercise? Do you carry a bottle of Water around a course with you? (That seems like such an awkward thing to do.) We keep being advised to sip Water all day, but it must be difficult when you're taking part in some event.

Just for fun
What's the stupidest bit of weight loss advice you've been given by somebody who 'just doesn't understand'?
A few years ago a guy I knew told me I should learn to play chess because it would teach me the mental discipline I needed to lose weight.
He was an odd guy. He used the word discipline a lot in conversation - I never wanted to know why!
Anyway, I told him chess is the most boring game in creation and I'd rather watch paint dry. (Apologies to any avid chess players out there.)

Yes but not on a 5K. You can get Water stops for that. That's a short distance, anything else, that is another story.

Has anyone read Dr David Perlmutter's 'Grain Brain' book? I haven't read it yet, but saw his info show on PBS last weekend and he had some interesting things to say.
The basic message is that we need healthy fats so shouldn't go for the extreme low fat diets, but that gluten is very harmful.
My experience is that although I feel much better when I don't eat bread, it's the food that I crave the most - which could be a sign of gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

I hope it's okay that I respond. I have a July date, but I can relate all too well to the stories of coworkers and friends not understanding. When I briefly mentioned several months ago that I was considering WLS, my coworkers almost fainted. I mentioned it to my sister and mother around the same time and they all gave me the same response. All said something similar to "I don't see why you need it. Why don't you just try to diet and exercise?" (Right...because that hasn't occurred to me over the 15 years that I've been big and getting bigger). When I decided for SURE that this is what I was going to do, I only told my husband and my two best friends who have all been truly supportive. I ended up telling my mother ONLY because I'm going out of the country and I didn't want to leave the country without telling her where I was. She's offered her support, but has also tried to talk me out of it several times. I did not, and will not tell my coworkers before I go. I submitted my time off request to my boss and I only put "Medical travel/procedure" for the reason. She called my desk to make sure I was okay, and approved the time without asking anymore questions. Our office is small, so my absence will be noticed, but I do plan to tell everyone when I come back. I just don't want the negativity before I go.
Good luck to all!
C.

Wow...ice cream?? Tsk Tsk Tsk... live and learn sweety. Stick to Clear liquids, broth, sugar free pops, Jello, and i guarantee in about 2 days you'll feel good and in 5 days you'll feel almost like your old self, but lighter. Stay positive and walk walk walk, that's the ONLY thing that really helps gas/bloating pain. Walk every two hours, especially after eating/drinking anything and drink very small sips. I am 6 weeks out today and feel AMAZING!! Have lost 21 lbs since surgery down 2 dress sizes, have more energy now, no pain, eat real food (tiny amounts which I am good with) and feel terrific and happy. Good luck!

Hello all -
I know several of us are hitting our 1 month mark this week. Mine is today.
The body is an incredible thing, truly. It's a healing machine quite frankly.
At one and two weeks out:
-you wonder what you have done to yourself and you are pretty sure you will never feel quite normal again
-you can't imagine yourself ever sleeping anywhere but the living room recliner
-the thought of driving or going back to work seems like an unrealistic commitment you made Way Back Before Surgery
-you can get in so little Water and Protein that it dawns on you that THESE are the weeks that will cause Hair loss several months from now
-you learn what "sliming" is (ewwww)
-MyFitnessPal tells you repeatedly: "You are getting too few calories. If every day were like today, you would be DEAD in 5 weeks."
At three weeks out:
-you feel better but not really there yet
-you need extra naps on the weekend
-getting in your water and protein can be done with the effort of a full time job
-you have a strange painful stitch in your side that you've resigned yourself to bravely live with the rest of your life
-you accidentally sleep all night with the heating pad on your largest incision site on its highest setting
-you walk 20 minutes on the treadmill and then come onto this site and disbelievingly post, "WHEN did they say I should start exercising????"
-your body decides you must be on a grueling episode of Survivor and goes into starvation mode yielding the world's most devastating weight loss stall prompting you to decide that you are a failure and did this all for NOTHING
At four weeks out:
-you sleep in your own bed in whatever position you want
-the fire-hazardous heating pad gets put away
-you walk 2+ miles at lunch and think maybe you could have done more
-you have enough energy to really start cleaning the house again and get totally aggravated at hubby and kids for how little they managed to do for the past month
-you randomly feel happy, mad, silly, sad as hormones and emotions take their toll
-you have to pack up the first set of clothes which are now too big
-you feel healthy....dare I say...normal?
Yep, the first month is kind of amazing.

I always said I would have photos of me and my daughter together, because I have very few of my own mother. My mom HATED her picture taken. She would very rarely be in them, and mostly only candid shots taken before she could object. When she died I scrambled to find all the pictures I could of her, and there wasn't many. Therefore I always said I would do better by my own daughter, because once we are gone that is one of the only thing left for our survivors. I know I don't care how my mom looked in pictures, all I see is the mom I love and miss. Yet I have found that I too have problems being in the picture. I am hyper critical of my appearance, especially being morbidly obese. In the past five years we have had our pictures taken together twice. Well this weekend we had another round of pictures done. So far I have only received one sneak peek, but I am super thrilled with it. I am only half way to goal right now, but the pictures show such a difference. I love this shot and can only hope the rest are as good! Thought I would share...

There are FACTS that they need to be aware of, I think...
Obesity is soon to be the #1 killer in the WORLD
Obesity became an actual condition/diagnosis in 2013 by the Medical Community
Obesity brings other problems in to your life
Obesity has genetic qualities...so the "I was born fat" does have its merit
Surgery is not the "easy way"...as you said, it is a tool that enables you to make better choices and stay on track
They need to access this website or other Bariatric information to find how important bariatric surgery is for us that have struggled for years with this problem.
I've watched the 600lb life (Dr. Now is amazing)... talk about information!!! I can't imagine EVER getting that big...and now I won't have to worry about it... I do maintain...but I still want to lose more, and it's up to me to put in a better effort right now...
Don't let others sway you in what you know is right for YOU... if you get tired of listening to the chatter...just thank them for their concern and move on...
Good luck to you...

People share different opinions on WLS. Some people simply don't understand what it's like to be obese and just can't grasp what a struggle we've all gone through to finally come to this point where we feel like we're throwing in the towel. But it's not throwing in the towel, it's taking a different tactic to live longer with less pain. And it's personal.
Even obese people don't understand why they're obese and some lack that hunger to not feel like crap all the time.
Then there are the ones closest to us who shower us with phrases like, "But you've got such a pretty face" or "you carry your weight well". I think they mean well and believe they're supporting us with these comments. They believe that these words make us feel better about our obesity and unwittingly only make the matter worse.
It takes a lot of mental commitment to try to understand why we want this so badly and why nothing else has ever worked. Cripes, even PCPs, Nurse Practitioners and nutritionists find it hard to understand so to the typical family member, this is just too much to comprehend.
The only answer is time. In time, after surgery, they will see why you want this so bad.
tmf

I know we are responsible how we feel, that others cannot “make” us feel a certain way. But what I realize as I get more comfortable and begin to discuss the surgery with some of my friends and family is that I feel shame or like I’m a failure. Perhaps it’s because I’m an over achiever in all other areas of my life but this or perhaps it’s because they imply I’m taking the easy way out or giving up or not trying hard enough and question if I have to control my food intake anyway, why am I putting my body & finances through the surgery ringer? When they look at my 366 lb, 6’1” frame, they say I carry it well and can’t see that I have a real problem. I’m sorry, but no one carries 167 lbs well It seriously makes me question whether or not I’m coping out, KNOWING this isn’t going to be easy.
Oddly, as I explain my decision to have the surgery because it is a tool and it’s not just weightloss surgery, that I have 8 co-morbid conditions and the surgery can resolve them in a couple of weeks, I further solidify the fact that I’ve made the right decision in my mind, but I’m still left with a “bad” feeling and they still don’t get it. I want to feel excited and less scared but I’m feel angry at the lack of support from people who “love me.” I understand we should shed toxic relationships, but some of these relationships are healthy on every other front. In a culture where people are dying from obesity, I feel like there should be more awareness and acceptance, but that’s another topic.
I know I cannot possibly be the only one feeling this way. If you have experienced these feelings, how have you dealt with it? Both internally and with others?

Then there are the in betweeners and I think this is where it gets sticky. Whole grain bread is good for you... healthy carbs except for some of us that type of food triggers cravings and hunger and over eating. Simply having bread (even whole grain, high fiber) in the house is a challenge for me - one that is going to rear it's head again when my son moves back home as he needs all that kind of food.< /p>
I don't count carbs, but i focus on Protein, veggies and berries and selected fruits. I do sometimes have Protein Bars, a glass of wine etc so I don't want to sound like i am really strict because I am not - but on a daily basis, I try to focus on basic food and limit most types of carbs.
The reality of the situation is that post menopausal women such as me just don't get to eat much to maintain a normal BMI. This is why most are overweight at this age. It is also a reality that some of us are more sensitive to carbs than others. I don't think I could have gotten to goal without carb restriction frankly so while I agree with your basic premise (carbs are not evil) I do think that not all of us have the same experience either.
I do not get brain fog but I am starting to speculate on the possible impact on mood issues... that eating low carb can make you more prone to feeling kinda down. I am doing research....

There are so many threads that demonize carbs with regards to WLS post op diet. Carbs are not evil.
There are two different types of carbs: the "good carbs" and the "bad" carbs. Good carbs are those that are of lower glycemic index and have a high Fiber content. Bad carbs are those that are mostly sugars. Some good carbs are fibrous fruits (apple, green banana, etc), steel oats, fibrous veggies (brocolli) and Fiber Cereal. Some bad carbs we are all familiar with: candy, ice cream, donuts, etc.
The fiber that is a part of good carbs help regulate fat oxidation (good bacteria in the stomach produce enzymes which break down fat to be used as energy) and the digestion process (fixes "lazy bowel" syndrome, Constipation, etc).
Finally good carbs are a direct source of energy for exercise (it is said low carbs may lead to 30% reduction in endurance energy during a training session), daily activities and neurological firing. Low carb diets almost always lead to brain fog, tiredness, etc.
So before discounting carbs, consider all the benefits that come with including them as part of a balanced post op diet. A good balance is 50% Protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat. MFP works wonders for being able to track and target the daily carb goals.

Simply put...Results.

I am having surgery in 2 weeks, so far my cruise in December is keeping me motivated. I want to wear nice summer clothes and look great!

For me, exercise is what gives me the flexibility eat what I like in small portions. 5 days per week I spend an hour on my stationary bike. I burn 500-600 calories at a shot and enjoy an hour of whatever NetFlix series I'm currently addicted to in the process. I take weekends off from focused exercise, but I'm way more active that I used to be. When I'm living life this way, I can have a small treat daily if I want and still meet my nutrition goals while losing weight. I record everything that goes in and know what I burn, so I never feel guilty as I'm working a balance that naturally thin people have already figured out! I wouldn't trade this for anything! It's what motivates me to be up at 4:30am to get it done so that life, fatigue, etc. doesn't get in my way at the end of the day. My new size 27 (size 7 Jr. jeans) MissMe's are pretty good motivation as well! LOL

A 5k is only 3 miles...you can do it!

I was 265 when I started in 1/3/13. My surgery was 1/17/13 and I was 255. I started the Couch to 5K around 2/17/13. I ran my first 5K after surgery at 209lbs on 5/18/13. I was able to run 2.5K and then I walk/ran the rest. I think if you start now with building up your walking endurance you could definitely run a 5K by Thanksgiving. You might need to run/walk, but they'll probably be lots of people at the turkey trot doing that. I've run 3 half marathons this year, 2 of which I ran the whole 13.1 miles.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained ! Go for it !