*Jade*

this was not posted under the veterans forum, It was posted under General gastric sleeve support . So she is welcome to post anything she likes here.

Babish don't apologize! You are being succesful and losing weight you have earned the right to brag all you want and I will gladly listen (or read) anytime you wish to brag I hope things continue to go well for you!
Jade

I keep a head shot of my obese self in my office. I look at my full body before pic at least once a week. I don't know why, but making peace with that image has been important to me - I guess a reminder of how far I have come rather than focusing on how imperfect I still am.

Everybody will be successful with weight loss surgery in the short term, but what will determine your long-term success? I will go through 26 essential principles needed for a happy relationship with your surgery, starting with the letter A. In this excerpt from my new book, I discuss the importance of having the right Attitude.



A



Attitude



“
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

– Winston Churchill
A stands for Attitude. Your attitude will determine how you see the world, whether you see your glass as half-empty or half-full. Focus on having only a positive attitude towards your weight loss surgery. Realize that everything in your life needed to happen in order for you to have the life you have today, even the events that might have contributed to your obesity. Rather than viewing your life as “jinxed” or “cursed,” consider past events as lessons that had to be learned at the University of Life or at the “school of hard knocks”.
Your attitude will also affect your aspirations. If your attitude is poor, then your aspirations will likely be small, when the truth is there are no limits to your aspirations. Most people have aspirations, but their aspirations are usually so small and uninspiring. Stop setting “realistic goals.” Instead, why not see how high you can fly? Like the renowned motivational speaker Les Brown said, “Shoot for the stars, so if you fail, you might hit the moon!” Stop staring into the bottom of that half-empty glass, and start drinking from the half-full glass of life.
*The previous was an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book, Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, now available on Amazon.com.< /p>

Looks like all spam to me. You'll see that each of those people joined the site around the same time of those posts.

all of yours are reading www.google.com as well? Thought it was just me!

It is a very moving piece. We are all a work in progress.

It is a very moving piece. We are all a work in progress.

It is a very moving piece. We are all a work in progress.

I agree 100% let me know if you are able to find out where to have one made!! I love it!

Google image searches. It came back with his name a few times.
Also, try this:
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSZxplCxCo1NgEGgQIAAgDDAsQsIynCBo8CjoIAhIU5hnRCfwJsRj1F6kJ6BnqF_1kJ-gkaIMzHSy6zntGTq6TuN0lczRL8rbnqnK3bV_1cjTK0iuyUwDAsQjq7-CBoKCggIARIEPi2tPww&sa=X&ei=lHrIU_btHOrksASH4YGIBQ&ved=0CBwQ2A4oAQ&biw=1137&bih=758&dpr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=E9bLs-uiuhCI1M%253A%3BV4popBM_EDU9JM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fm1.behance.net%252Frendition%252Fmodules%252F123255683%252Fdisp%252F07dd97db4c8abcb49443cddcac36c3f3.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.behance.net%252Fgallery%252F18178691%252FHome-Health-Statue%3B600%3B945

Gabriel D'Orazio in Brazil

Very powerful. I have not seen this before but will keep an eye out for the artist.

I keep seeing this gorgeous picture of a sculpture all over social media. If anyone knows more info about this pic, let me know! I'd LOVE to have something like this created!

I am in awe of all of you that have already undergone the surgery and/or made changes in your life to lead up to it. Thank you all for all the great responses.
I feel that I am ready for this as I am tired of being overweight and tired. I hope I can gain the self confidence that I have been lacking most of my life as I start through this journey. I want to get to know me and I hope I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
Again, thank you all for your replies. Reading this makes me feel like I can do it and be successful this time.
Jade

I apologize if this has been gone ove a million times but I would like some real world experienced weight losers to chime in on this. (I am going to a seminar next month and will be getting an appointment with a surgeon as soon as I find one that I am comfortable with.)
If I have the sleeve surgery I can expect to lose 50% of my "excess body weight in 2 years" or if I have RNY surgery I can expect to lose 60% "excess body weight in 2 years". So that is a difference of 10% excess body weight in 2 years which is not a lot of difference, in my opinion, for the increased complications that you can have with the RNY surgery.
I know everyone loses differently but I am a very motiviated woman at this point. I will be turning 50 later this year and I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and borderline hypertension. I also have a diagnosis of major depression.
The statistics I am reading are telling me that if I want need to lose a total of 116 lbs to be in a "healthy normal BMI range" that the surgeries will only help me to lose approximately 57.5 - 69.6 lbs? And I may only have 6-9 months to lose this weight?
I will ask my surgeon (when I find one) these questions also but I am curious about the answers you all will have for me.
Thank you very much for your time and your knowledge,
Jade

I am in awe of all of you that have already undergone the surgery and/or made changes in your life to lead up to it. Thank you all for all the great responses.
I feel that I am ready for this as I am tired of being overweight and tired. I hope I can gain the self confidence that I have been lacking most of my life as I start through this journey. I want to get to know me and I hope I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
Again, thank you all for your replies. Reading this makes me feel like I can do it and be successful this time.
Jade

Everyone has to come to the realization that we are who we are at some point. If you cannot find happiness within yourself at this point you will never be happy... If you can't Celebrate where your body is now..Healthier and in great shape and you feel great...what was the point of all the work you have done to get where you are today...
It is the common thinking that it is never enough until we look more like models that have no shape at all. No breasts, and bones sticking out everywhere. Is that what you want for yourself. To no longer look like a woman.
To say ' is this the best it is gonna get' implies that you are not happy with you, and who you have become. 75 lbs gone and muscled now.....
Take 75 lbs of butter and place them on the table next to you and look at what you have done. Where you are.Take a look at the before and after pictures and Celebrate the wonderful success of your journey..
Your body may decide to lose more but live as much as you can where you are now and let your body do the deciding.
Just stay on the program and do not Detour and you will reach the right place for you...Whether it is this year or next year...This is not a race, it is a journey!

My trainer has me do these but with my forearms on the BOSU.

I am not positive about this, but I think the straight arm plank is the "modified" exercise, i.e. a little easier than the bent arm one. But I'd try both and see what is easier on your shoulders. Be sure to keep your butt down. (That's my problem!)

@InfiniteButterfly this seems so much less stress on other joints -- the forearms take the brunt. I am so happy to discover this (arthritis, eeek). @@SillyAuntDi do it now -- twenty seconds! Don't even need sneakers or fitness clothes, though high heels may need to come off. Still, I can picture doing this almost anywhere. OMG, I am going to become a planking freak. I can feel it. Now to feel the muscles in my abdominal region. That would be good!

I've got to get serious about this. I've had to back off of crunches and leg lifts because of my back. I can plank. I've just been making excuses for not doing it daily...that stops this weekend.

I'm pretty excited about planking. The Mrs. Winnie-the-Pooh belly is much smaller now, but I really need to tone my core for every reason. Unlike a lot of exercises, this one is easy to do in a very short amount of time. Also I have wrist and hand problems and since this is on the forearms there is no impact at all. There are challenges that suggest twenty seconds to start on first and second days, then moving up to thirty, etc.
These images helped me a lot:

I've been the same weight give or take for 2 months now, maybe longer. I exercise a ton. I eat fairly healthy. I'm what health professionals would consider overweight but friends would consider ideal. Is there some point where your body just says, "look, this is it". This is the best your gonna get and you look great, you’re the healthiest and skinniest that you have ever been. Your big boned and not meant to be any skinnier.

Am I just making excuses or is there truly an ideal weight for each of us that may or may not conform with the BMI chart? I'm damn focused on the number but maybe I'm setting myself up here.

I'm so sorry... My post was intended for another thread. I must have accidentally clicked on the wrong one and started typing. Reading your post and then mine you must be thinking.... "Brag much" lol. The 2 don't really relate!
Good luck jade. I feel like my decision to have surgery was a very quick one. A friend of mine had it and 6 weeks later I was having mine. Even the day of I was terrified if I was doing the right thing or if I was going to be able to make the changes. I probably should have had more time to prepare and research. That being said... Now just over 7 weeks out... I don't regret it. I haven't felt this good about myself in sometime! The first few weeks post op were no walk in the park but anything worth having is worth working for. Over all I would say it has been a fairly easy process. Good luck to you! I wish you the best of luck!