NewLife'sGr8

When I roast meat, instead of making gravy, I make au jus. I add to the roaster before popping in the meat -chicken, beef, or veggie stock- skim the fat off, season, and YUM! It's low cal, flavorful & those 'sticky' meats go down so much better. And with none of those additives that are hard to pronounce.

Is there a difference between a stall & a plateau?

When I asked the same question, my physical therapist recommended A.C.I.C.S. They're fabulous! Expensive, but you can get last year's model at deep discounts. My suggestion: Go to a sporting goods store and try on a few different brands and see which are best for YOUR feet, and are at your price-point. You can ask the sales rep when (whatever brand you like) usually goes on sale.

I've lived many years happily independent; alone but not lonely. I agree, we don't need someone to make us whole nor 'complete'. Rather, it's someone who compliments me, and I, him who I want to be with. Never was I ever with a man just to break my loneliness. IMHO, Not fair to him, breaking boredom/loneliness &I dump him because someone better came along. Now, I'm open to a relationship though not desperate. I've dated on & off and haven't yet felt that tingling you get; the knowing that it's the right guy. Heck, even with tingles, sometimes it's still not a good match after you really get to know each other. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me- or him-at all. Just means we're not good together. I know the kind of guy I'm looking for and there are some deal-breakers for me that I wouldn't even consider a first date. At midlife, it's a lot more challenging for both men and women. Let's face it, the really good ones are mostly taken. Electronic dating has over-run traditional, organic, just see someone out and about, feel an attraction, and ask for a date. I'd much rather be alone than be with the wrong man. Like @@gowalking, I listen to my gut now. My gut never fails me. If something's off, it's good-bye! Gave up questioning what went wrong long ago.

Great news! Congrats on your successful outcome!

@@Bandista You hit the nail on the head- for me: "Worthy". My worthiness over the course of my life has been like Hamlet's Wheel; That 26,000yr cycle of the Cosmos, that goes from positive trends to negative trends, round and round. The trick with Hamlet's Wheel is to stay centered, otherwise that darn wheel will swing you around- barely able to hang on. I've done both. It's hard to remain centered though, especially when the unexpected hits you. I started my ride on the wheel at a young age (like 3yo I remember things) feeling happily confident in myself, then whap! something major happened that sunk me into the dredges. Of course, "Major" is different when you're 3yo, adolescent, teens, 20's, 30's, etc.. The more 'major' things I experience, the less major a lot of those other things seem. "Major" is different for everyone- all valid. So round and round I went, and round and round I go - squished like a "toon", then spring back up, pull up my proverbial boot-straps, get myself back to: Yes! I AM worthy of all good things life offers, succeed like a banshee, then BAM! Another Major life-thing. I'm not bi-polar btw. By major, I'm talking about out-of-the-norm, really hard-hard things, for example: my sister's murder (she was 16yo - I, 14yo). Still unsolved. Without a doubt, that certainly had something to do with all my yo-yo-ing; , fat/thin, fat/thin, round and round.... centered/barely hanging on, repeat. Other things too. I'm glad I've had all the counseling I have & thankfully, no longer suffer survivor's guilt. At least I got rid of all the self-destructive behavior associated with that. Good riddance! But there's still a cavernous pit that will probably always be there- it's part of me now. I'm grateful I can live with that pit now, regardless of where I am on the wheel. So in this moment, I'm on another down-swing with another WTF? - out of left-field-thing. Feeling pretty exhausted. I'm glad I'm no longer dealing with my 'head-hunger' bottomless pit anymore- my former go-to when life got whack. Such a relief! I have plenty of pits to deal with and am so happy to finally let that one go. On the up-swing, I see the light ahead of me. It's right around that next switch-back (thank goodness!), nice and bright and calling my name. YAY! Over the years, I've had lots of counseling. I agree Bandista. IMO, It doesn't do much good for me anymore. When I found myself counseling the counselor, I knew it was time to jump that train. That's why I'm SO happy I discovered BP! It's my 'group therapy' which I've also done a lot of over the years. Right now, It's refreshing to re-direct my focus & energy on my band, the semantics of weight loss, head-hunger, body image, getting answers to help the inflammation, etc & with a wonderful group of people who post so openly & honestly- from way, deep down. I'm blessed! I haven't had the presence of mind in some time, to really think on that level, much less share my inner most self with 'strangers'. This site has been pivotal in guiding me around these last couple switch-backs, where I can finally get a glimpse of that oncoming light, beaconing me. For all those people who either haven't had any counseling, or not much counseling, I think it's a good 1st step towards self-awareness. A must in the WLS experience. Groups are a great component too. Hearing other's similar stories and sharing your own in a safe, trusting environment is truly liberating. Finding answers to long sought-after questions- even better! Soooo in conclusion (sorry so long), IMHO, Each person has their own path to take- but, where to begin? Counseling, groups, spiritual guidance, or online- it's ALL good, all beneficial. Of course, EXERCISE really does help a LOT! Very therapeutic, plus all those other physical-health benefits too. (Def. need to do more of that, myself) I've done, and recommend, all the above. Whatever it takes to make you feel whole and WORTHY! THAT's where it's at! Good luck! And Thanks for reminding me @"Bandista"!

Go get counseling

Best wishes for a full, happy, successful recovery. Be well.

Heal well. Be kind to yourself and enjoy taking it easy for awhile.

@ FineDiva Yep. My former Jay-Lo butt deflated. Bad timing. My butt was high & round, in the 1980's - 1990's when pencil straight was media-marketed as "desirable". In the mid-late 2000's, way over-inflated. Now that big round butts are in, mine went flat. Go figure. *heads-up: Partially my fault. I didn't keep squatting. Good news: I'm told it's repairable- just get squatting again. That, and a little plastic surgery.

@@JustWatchMe You look amazing. Keep it up girl!

Julie, Couldn't agree more. My nemesis was also insatiable hunger, which the band has corrected. And like you, for years now. I was scared of losing my familiar food-comforts too; afraid I wouldn't find a suitable replacement. In the beginning, I didn't really have to. My band-journey was during the course of numerous surgeries, so the band wasn't necessarily my main focus for most of my weight loss. It was: Surgery --> laid up --> PT appointments, (no choice / no excuses exercise) --> back to work in a hostile, toxic work environment --> , then another, then another... 8 times over four years. I just listened to my body (restriction) and did what the ortho surgeons told me to do, made my intermittent fill appts, as prescribed. I was Knee-deep in the medical industry, and I come from a long line of doc avoiders. Oof! Not a happy place. Every once in awhile, I'd get dressed, look in the mirror, and say wow! THAT doesn't look very good anymore! Way too big! Sweet! Then, all of a sudden, returning to work after the last surgery, everyone called me skinny. Whaaat? Seemed odd. Still felt like me. I WAS still me! Just lighter; in pounds, in spirit and in mind. I think that's how it works with the band. Slow transformation over time - fine by me -cocooning (pre-surg liquid diet, first fills), then adding exercise (for me, just intermittent PT), and more fills, and the realization I'm living life sans insatiable hunger! Cool. And suddenly, out pops a butterfly! Amazing! Love my band! It not only saved my life (Co-morbidities) but made my long ortho-surg ordeal much easier, as pressure on my joints, and pain, lessened. Now, hardly any hip/knee pain to speak of. Fabulous! Presently, I'm thrust to focus on my band again, maybe for the 1st time. Before that, for the most part, It simply worked in the background. So grateful my band worked like that. And exercise, need to get back on track with THAT, ok- probably for the first time since banding too, now that it's not "mandatory" i.e.: PT appts. Do you agree that as vets, instead of fighting hunger, complacency is our new struggle? Are you paying attention, Professor? This is the ghost of x-mas future... For me, Remembering to self-reward NSV's, remembering to exercise, remembering how many oz (or was that grams?) of protein/diem, Am I still supposed to eat only 1-2 tbsp of carbs, because sometimes, I'm tanking. How many CC's are in that thing? Does knowing really matter? How important is it for me to stay in that band-inflaming, extremely toxic, bizzaro-world I work in? Should I tough it out to retire "early"? Or do I go back out into another scary unknown- a new career? Which ones scarier? (After this past week, without a doubt, it's work). IMO, Our bands are for LIFE! There will always be struggles and our bands are in it with us. Sometimes we'll be more band-conscious. Most of the time though, it works, unconsciously.

I've learned all those same things you have! Surprisingly, I've become really good at not having a drink during meals. lol Keeping a little something on hand in case I feel like I'm getting 'stuck' - albeit rarely- Is such a relief! I take a tiny little sip or two to help things along, as opposed to the inevitable purge if I don't. Of course there's been times when the tiny little sip-trick just doesn't work. This band-thing... It's a live-n-learn situation, for life!

Is it possible to find Plastic Surgeons of Excellence around the US and Mexico, who are willing to offer group-rate pricing (Perhaps deep discounts?) for Bariatric Pal's members, just like you've done with WL Surgeons? IMHO, the Plastic Surgery component is just as important as WLS for becoming (psychologically) healthy to prevent body dysmorphia and obesity "relapse".