IcanMakeit

People aren't afraid to help and answer questions. Seems to be that all of us are humbled due to our struggles to this point and beyond so there is a lot of help.
I also love this place mainly due to the sense of humors and just plain funny things. If you have been obese like I have most of my life, we learn to laugh and be funny. To the point that it's funny and not really gouging at someone real hard. Really makes me smile reading some stuff.
I love the light heartedness of a lot of the contributors!
I also love the fact that if you ask...most likely. You are going to get told like it is. No candy coating, cotton candy wrapped or bacon infused BS. Greatness!!!
I am new here and hope to be here during and AFTER my initial journey. My sleeve was done June 29, 2015...gotta a long road ahead of me but with these forums, it will probably be like cruising down to the coast with good conversation from great people.
Ok...that's all the raving I will do right now, I usually won't type stuff like this and I've been a moderator for several business and automotive forums....just nice to see a definite change in personalities! (for the better!)
So anyways...Hello!

I agree the burger was overkill...BUT a fried egg over easy on a cheeseburger! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! That is the way to go! That's how good burger joints here in Texas do it ( most have it on the menu). Then again...I just had this nice sleeve installed from this junk..LOL! I will miss a fried egg burger. SO good, the yolk oozing makes it the bomb...oh...and it needs bacon and jalapenos. I call it the Border Breakfast Burger. HEHEHE...good times..good times..now are going to be BETTER TIMES! Gonna go drink a Protein shake and dream it's the burger...then run like GUMP to work it off!!

I have a lot of empathy for the people who haven't quite internalized the fact that in order to be successful, their lifestyles have to totally change. I was in their shoes early in the process. Even though I had read and researched and met with a nutritionist, I still, in the back of my head, thought I could keep doing things my way. It wasn't that I didn't have the facts. It just took me a while to accept them. So my head doesn't explode when I read those kinds of posts. I believe that these people can come to terms with their new way of life and be successful, especially when we, who understand what they are feeling, give them the benefit of our experience.

We are all so different. I appreciate the taste of beef much more than I did before. Now, in maintenance, I occasionally enjoy "Protein style*" burgers from In and Out. Especially when I get them with lots of pickles. *At In and Out Burger, Protein style means wrapped in lettuce, no bun.

I am so sorry this came across the way you read it, I love this forum and only was trying to lighten the mood, It is so extreme, I was only hoping to create some humor. My apologies,no offense is meant!

I agree that there are a lot of people--not just on here--who seem to be either extremely ill-informed or willfully disregarding their surgeon's instructions...
...however, these types of threads make me really nervous about posting anything on this site in the future. I'm still pretty new, both to this site and to WLS (I was sleeved 3 weeks ago). I posted a thread a while back with that I thought was a reasonable question. I'd looked through search results, had left a message with my surgeon's office, and just wanted some opinions because I couldn't stop obsessing/worrying. A few days later, someone posted a ranting thread which mentioned essentially the same scenario that I'd asked about. I had to assume that it was a complaint against me, but I wish the member had sent me a private message instead of calling me out publicly. And yes, I agree with @@judyoz that it's usually not hard to figure out who is being ranted about, which I think is worse (and kinda passive-aggressive) than just bluntly responding to the post or PMing the OP.
So, while there are certainly plenty of people who may just be on here to try to get someone to justify their poor decisions, most of us newbies are looking for a community of support when we can't even tell a lot of people in our "real lives" about our WLS, let alone talk about the nitty-gritty details.

I have a lot of empathy for the people who haven't quite internalized the fact that in order to be successful, their lifestyles have to totally change. I was in their shoes early in the process. Even though I had read and researched and met with a nutritionist, I still, in the back of my head, thought I could keep doing things my way. It wasn't that I didn't have the facts. It just took me a while to accept them. So my head doesn't explode when I read those kinds of posts. I believe that these people can come to terms with their new way of life and be successful, especially when we, who understand what they are feeling, give them the benefit of our experience.

@@dena1258
If you want to respond to someone, you can click on the "@Mention" which is located below their member summary on the left side of the screen (on a computer or tablet). I don't use the app, so I don't know where the "@Mention" is located in the app. When you click on "@Mention," the username is inserted in your reply with the @ symbol added.
Good luck on your weight loss journey. It sounds like you're in the right frame of mind to be successful.

I have a lot of empathy for the people who haven't quite internalized the fact that in order to be successful, their lifestyles have to totally change. I was in their shoes early in the process. Even though I had read and researched and met with a nutritionist, I still, in the back of my head, thought I could keep doing things my way. It wasn't that I didn't have the facts. It just took me a while to accept them. So my head doesn't explode when I read those kinds of posts. I believe that these people can come to terms with their new way of life and be successful, especially when we, who understand what they are feeling, give them the benefit of our experience.

I have to be one of the bluntest people on this forum.
But 20-year-olds actually are immature. And many of them are far more impulsive than they'll be 5-10 years hence. Hell, their brains aren't even finished cooking yet. Bless their hearts ... and I don't mean that in the Southern way.
Likewise, it's sometimes hard being older and wiser with more experience and more insurance. Therefore, on a forum like this I can sometimes forgo cutting a young person's throat virtually.
And yes, later in the thread, she did rethink the subject and clarify her position.
For older people who whine repeatedly (not that we don't all have the occasional bad day) about pizza+beer, stalls, I simply realize they're probably not going to "make it." They probably don't have the proper nutritional education, counseling or therapy, intellectual or emotional intelligence, or other attributes that WLS requires for success.
Don't be mean. Those of us who do get it and are successful long-term are lucky in many ways. I also remember that this journey is never over, and that a challenge I stepped over easily last month could trip me up next month.
Finally, I'm feeling unusually charitable this Fourth of July as I think about the great fortune I had to be born in the United States and about all the opportunities freely available to me as a woman that I'd not have had if I'd been born in a number of other places and times.

I have a lot of empathy for the people who haven't quite internalized the fact that in order to be successful, their lifestyles have to totally change. I was in their shoes early in the process. Even though I had read and researched and met with a nutritionist, I still, in the back of my head, thought I could keep doing things my way. It wasn't that I didn't have the facts. It just took me a while to accept them. So my head doesn't explode when I read those kinds of posts. I believe that these people can come to terms with their new way of life and be successful, especially when we, who understand what they are feeling, give them the benefit of our experience.

I just went to brunch at a Black Bear Diner. (Black Bear Diner's are known for their large portions.) For Father's Day they now have a special they call their "Big Daddy" burger. It's 1-1/3 pounds of beef, bacon, cheese, a fried egg, and fried onion rings, served with a side of French fries. My guess is the meal tops 3,000 calories. What a way to show your appreciation for your dad! By buying him a heart attack special.
I don't like to think that they sell any, but I'll bet they do.

I don't know if this qualifies as an NSV, but I ate popcorn last weekend and did not try to overeat it, nor did it lead me to start craving other slider foods. (Popcorn is one of the foods that I abused most often when I was obese.) I think if I keep dangerous treats to a minimum, I can learn to eat them occasionally and responsibly.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

Good for you! This post was timely for me. My husband's arthritis frequently keeps him from joining me on my walks, and when he does come, he's kind of slow for me. So for the last two days, after our evening walk, I let him go home and I walk by myself for another half hour or so. This is a breakthrough for me because I have been too timid to wander too far in the evening by myself. But just like you, I find that I enjoy the alone time.

It boils down to a few key elements-age, genetics and skin elasticity, how long you were obese, how obese you were, and how much weight you lost. Losing slowly doesn't help, and drinking Water won't impact it either.
Exercise, creams, magic potions, wraps or injections will not shrink your skin. If you are lucky enough to have great genes, you might not end up with much loose skin. Either way, exercise can give you a better look.
My skin has no elasticity - at all, according to my plastic surgeon. I'm 53 and was super morbidly obese a really long time. However, I did notice some mild improvements in my face and neck over time, but none in my body. It was just too far gone. My daughter who is in her 20's, lost 100 pounds recently and you can't really tell she was ever overweight. She lost most of that weight in about 6 months, and her skin was fine all throughout the loss.
At the end of the day, loose skin is way better than skin filled in with lots of extra fat.

I know this isn't what you're looking for, but my answer would be follow your surgeon's plan, drink a ton of Water and exercise. I've lost 98% of my excess weight and don't plan on stopping until that number is at 100%. I did it by following my surgeon's plan, keeping an open line of communication with him (if I have a question, I send an email, get a response and follow his advice) and attending all scheduled follow up appointments. I chose my doctor for a reason, he has a proven track record of successful patients. Why wouldn't I follow his advice? I also track my food in myfitnesspal and make sure my Protein and Fluid numbers are on point every single day. I also made a commitment to exercise and I've stuck to it. A minimum 5 times a week. My last bit of advice is to have a good attitude and enjoy the ride. As someone said to me, learn to love the process and the results will come. Good luck!

I don't know if this qualifies as an NSV, but I ate popcorn last weekend and did not try to overeat it, nor did it lead me to start craving other slider foods. (Popcorn is one of the foods that I abused most often when I was obese.) I think if I keep dangerous treats to a minimum, I can learn to eat them occasionally and responsibly.

I agree that WLS is an extreme step that should only be undertaken by people who are willing to go "all in." The big changes in lifestyle that are required are difficult for many people to adjust to. But if you are serious about losing weight, you'll have to make permanent lifestyle changes anyway. The great thing about WLS is that it makes adjusting to those lifestyle changes easier.
I can't really tell you whether or not you should have WLS or try again to commit to a permanent healthy lifestyle without the aid of surgery. I just know that I'm really glad I chose to go through with the VSG. I have reached a weight that I never thought possible and have been freed from a long list of ailments and reduced abilities.

@@Sharpie
I only take those Vitamins, don't live on Protein shakes, and can eat normal food.
I don't want people considering the sleeve to think that living on protien shakes and Vitamins is the norm. It may be at very first, but certainly not for long. Just sayin.

@@CowgirlJane
I have been assuring all my concerned friends that my current foray into the underweight category is temporary. From what I have observed, very few people have that problem when they are over two years out. That's why I don't want to overreact. My sister (who had RNY) purposely gained when she was told she was too thin, and ended up regaining a significant amount of weight that she is really struggling to lose.

Hmm. I don't really know because I keep my meat/fish servings at 3-4 ozs. I could probably fit a bit more, but I like my vegetables too much. I'd much rather have veggies than more meat.
The problem with the way I'm doing things is that I'm still (at just over one year out from surgery) relying on Protein shakes/bars to make my quota every day. I should try eating a bit more dense Protein at a sitting and see how I feel.

Hmm. I don't really know because I keep my meat/fish servings at 3-4 ozs. I could probably fit a bit more, but I like my vegetables too much. I'd much rather have veggies than more meat.
The problem with the way I'm doing things is that I'm still (at just over one year out from surgery) relying on Protein shakes/bars to make my quota every day. I should try eating a bit more dense Protein at a sitting and see how I feel.

This is a great topic to ponder. I've probably been asking myself that question for 30 years. You know what? Sometimes I am convinced that obesity is merely a genotype--similar to being short or having brown hair. In other words, there are many of us who are fat not for any psychological reason, but because this morphology is the "voice of our genes."
There are those that hang onto weight because of trauma or other, but really, I am convinced that there is also a set of us that have fat inscribed in our genes. So weight loss is all that more challenging (though obviously not impossible, just harder) because our we are battling genetic code and nothing more.

A year ago I was 20# thinner, way under goal and had ribs sticking out on my chest and back. While being thin was awesome I also didn't really look that great and my doc was concerned about my health. When i look at pix...well...some of them weren't that great.
Now I am annoyed that my size 2 shorts don't fit but I look way better, I feel better...
I think this bounce is somewhat normal.
I am 3.5 years post op.