funky_monkey800

My surgery was almost two years ago and I've been "at goal" for over a year. I am still amazed when I see pictures of myself not fat.
The kid in this picture is a size 2. I am not. Ha!

Weight loss surgery can be a godsend. Getting the surgery could be the best decision you ever make. It can give you your life back and help you become healthier than you have been in years – or ever before. But what you need to do to stick to your new lifestyle isn’t so different from what other healthy people need to do. If you want to be thin and fit, you need to think and act like a thin and fit person.


Bariatric Surgery: Necessary But Not Sufficient
Weight loss surgery is a significant part of the solution to surgery. If you can’t lose weight without it, it’s necessary. But, on its own, it’s not sufficient for weight loss. As every weight loss surgery patient knows, weight loss surgery only works when you add other components, like a healthier lifestyle, to lose weight permanently.
Don’t Give Up
It’s easy to start feeling sorry for yourself when regular diets don’t work for you. You may feel that your doctor’s recommendation to get weight loss surgery is official recognition that your obesity is out of your control. After weight loss surgery, it can seem like you’re still working harder than the “skinny” people, and you may feel like giving up. There’s no point in feeling doomed to obesity. Don’t bother resenting your “bad luck” with obesity. The truth is that most fit and healthy people need to work hard at it, just like you do.
Have a Plan
Don’t leave things up to chance. Skinny people may not have as many dietary restrictions and requirements as you, but you can bet many of them think carefully about what they eat. They plan what they’ll order at a restaurant, and you should, too. They’ll also compensate for oversized meals by exercising a little extra or eating a little less at the next meal.
Be Honest
Are you really acting like a skinny person? Their behaviors are the same as many of the rules you’re supposed to be following on your weight loss diet. If you’re not losing weight like you think you should be, look carefully at your habits.
Are you ending your meal when you’re barely full, or eating for another reason, such as eating to keep everyone else company while they eat?
Are you driving straight home, or passing through the drive-thru?
Are you drinking only Water between planned meals and Snacks, or are you getting in calories from juice and sweetened coffee drinks?
Are you eating only at the table, or are you nibbling while standing?

Watch your skinny coworkers and even housemates carefully, and you may start to notice some of their good habits. They may be lucky enough have those habits formed naturally while you need to work a little harder on them, but you can do it.
Ask Away
Yes, you’ll see a lot of skinny people doing a lot of things you wouldn’t dare try because you’d be afraid of gaining weight. They may pack away a hot dog, an ice cream sandwich, and a few beers at a baseball game, or munch their way through a bag of potato chips with dip while watching television.
Ask them how they get away with it if it’s your friend or someone in your family and you feel comfortable enough. You may get a frustrating answer (“I eat whatever I want and don’t worry about it.”), but you may get something helpful (“I eat very carefully six days a week so I can veg out and eat chips on Sunday” or “I knew I wanted to relax and enjoy myself at the game, so I worked out for an extra hour this morning to burn a few extra calories”).
These tips can reinforce the strategies you already know and add to your collection of strategies. They can also help you realize that everyone works hard at staying fit and thin – weight loss surgery or not. You may not be allowed to eat an ice cream sandwich and drink beer on your weight loss surgery diet, but you can exercise ahead of time as a strategy against
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em
Until you hit goal weight, you may be most self-conscious about your weight when you’re at the gym. You’re likely to be surrounded by fit people with strong-looking and lean bodies. Don’t just think of these people as another species. Instead, use them to your advantage.
Strike up a conversation with them, being careful not to interrupt their workouts. Catch them while you’re both on the elliptical, bike, or treadmill, or when they’re done with their workout.
Some people will let you know that they’re not interested in making friends at the gym. Don’t take it personally – it has nothing to do with your fitness level, weight, or personality. Some people just go to the gym because they want to feel alone.
Other people will be delighted to talk to you. Most people love talking about themselves, including their workout schedule and goals. They’ll be happy to give you pointers. You can learn what they do to stay in shape, and how often they hit the gym. Possibly most inspirational of all is what you’ll learn about their dedication to their health. They had to get up just as early as you, they’re just as busy as you, and they worry about their diets just as much as you – and they make it a priority to get to the gym almost every day.
It Comes Down to Attitude
So much of your weight loss journey success depends on your attitude. When you feel like you’re working harder than everyone else, you may be tempted to stop trying. Once you realize that everyone needs to work hard to be fit and healthy, you’re more likely to stay committed. Act skinny, and you’ll hit your goal weight.

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

This is such a tough question for so many reasons! One is that we’re all different…so while you might lose 1, 4, 2, and 6 pounds per week during a four-week period, I might lose those same 13 pounds by losing 3, 3, 3, and 4 pounds. Even more likely would be that we might lose the same amount after a year of eating the same, but maybe wouldn’t lose the same in any given four-week period.



Something else is that you have to have a definition of “stall.” I don’t know if there is an official one, but I do know that some people get alarmed and call it a stall if they don’t lose weight for a couple of days, while other people wait for several weeks before calling it a “stall.”



I know that every time I’ve “stalled,” there have been things for me to fix in my diet – I wasn’t perfect, even if I lied to myself that I was or truly thought I was…and then figured out what I needed to fix.



Part of me thinks this is just semantics…does it matter if it’s called a stall? We have to eat right and exercise, and our bodies will do what they do!

I think our obsession with stalls (by any name) is understandable. We start out as WLS patients with mega-losses real fast. Then we hit the (pretty common) three-week stall. Then, depending on how heavy we were to start with, we settle down to a 10-15 or even 20 pound monthly weight loss for 3-6 months. Then things slow down.
But along the way, when we're weighing daily, we see a graph line (or imagine one) that looks like a trail made by a drunk chicken stumbling up and downhill on his way to the river.
And here's a simple conclusion about why the graph looks like a drunken chicken's trail: Our bodies are not robots. Nor are they gas engines that always get X miles per gallon (or X pounds lost per daily calorie intake). Our bodies are complex carbon oxygen machines that are constantly producing hormones and running fancy and changing biochemistry combustions and repairing our bodies and losing weight and none of those things is linearly coordinated.
Our bodies produce 60-70 hormones that have specific functions. But those aren't all produced at the same rate all the time and vary according to our ages, activities, diseases, times of the month, times of the day, and they can produce interactions among them, too.
For instance, here's just one of the simplest things about Water weight most of us do know about. Remember the pre-op diet that most of us had to do for a couple of weeks? The point of that diet was to reduce the size and slickness of our multi-lobed livers so our surgeons could operate on our stomachs located right next to the liver. The heavier and slicker the liver, the harder it is to man-handle it during surgery and the likelier it is to get nicked or torn during the experience (nicked or torn liver = very, very bad thing). Anyway, the point of that pre-op diet was to use up all the glycogen (look it up) that's stored in the liver. And when the glycogen is used up, we also lose a large amount of Water in which that glycogen is stored. Hence, our very rapid weight loss during the pre-op diet (and that's lost at the beginning of almost every diet in the world).
Here's another thing: I think about the number of extra capillaries and nerves that my body grew when I was fatter but that I no longer need now that I've lost 77 pounds. What happened to those things? At what point does my body break those down? And when and how are those waste products excreted? And how does that process affect the arc of my weight loss graph? I got lots more questions, too!
So here's the bottom line: Our bodies do not lose weight in a straight, linear progression to goal. That is a fact. We all know that. Why not? Because (as Elode said), it's complicated. It's very, very complicated.

it has to do with glucose and your body catching up and adjusting to your weight loss.... LMFAO....
you have a lot of good theories and answers above. whatever is happening and whatever you want to call it. kick it right in the balls and keep kickin butt. You will keep losing.

I love it when someone asks a question then tells us what NOT to say. It truly tickles me.

(Re-printed from my Surgeon's website)
1. Your co-worker heard a strange noise and doesn’t bat an eye…knowing it was your stomach.
Patients often ask me why their new pouch makes odd gurgling noises. It could be too big of bites or eating too quickly. It could also just be your stomach moving around and making noises for all to hear
2. You have a space heater under your desk in the middle of July.
It may be in part to losing some “insulation” but many postop wls patients are colder than they’ve ever been using more blankets at night and space heaters to keep warm.
3. Your alarm just went off for the third time today to remember your next Vitamin.< /b>
While bariatric Vitamins have become much more simpler in recent years, it still takes reminders to get in your vitamins. Your family might even hear the alarm and hand you your calcium!
4. Protein is always first on your mind at your meals – it might as well be plastered inside your forehead.
Protein…protein..where’s the protein? Protein is what fills you up and keeps you full! You get the most out of your surgery when you focus on lean and solid protein sources.
5. Your waitress keeps asking if the food is okay. And if you’re sure you don’t want a drink.
When you can only eat an ounce or so, the wait staff may think something is wrong with the food. And what do you mean you don’t want anything to drink??
6. Your pants are barely holding on but you’re still holding off to go shopping.
Just make sure you don’t carry a heavy object and walk up a flight of stairs. At least not around anyone
7. Speaking of shopping, you still go to the plus sized section first out of habit.
It’s hard to wrap your mind around your new body. Leave plenty of time and stay patient with yourself as you find out what size your body is. Take a good friend to be your “runner” and someone to talk it out with.
8. You get overjoyed at the release of a new Protein Bar flavor…or a sale on your favorite Protein Bars.< /strong>
Quest® has a new flavor?!?!??! Ahhhhh!!!!!!
9. You rejoice at the small things like crossing your legs or getting a pair of boots that zip up your calves.
Some things you’ll never take for granted again. It may seem like nothing to others, but to you it’s something big.
10. You use lingo like “wls”…”bariatric friendly”…”pouch”…”vsg”…
You gotta know the lingo to be in the club!
11. You smile as you think of how far you’ve come and get excited to think of where you’ll be soon.
Patients wonder why they didn’t have their surgery sooner.

And last but not least:

12. You learn to NEVER trust a fart.

I see the majority of people posting on this topic are "Gastric Sleeve" people.
Gee, I need to start visiting that group....The Lap Band section gets a little boring compared to this.....
Wait, I think I just insulted two groups?
Seriously, it's a big world out there with countless persuasions of people...and the Internet is tapped right into it....so signing onto a public "World Wide" forum......you expect, what?
Take the good, spit out the bad.....just like life itself....
I've been posting here for over 4 years....but does anybody really know me?
Am I legit? Are YOU legit! I'm have no idea. But I do know myself, and I can only pay attention to things that relate to me.....
If that makes any sence.........BTW, this forum is tame compared to some other forums I belong to.....

@@gal friday ...
I don't have time this morning to point out the multiple instances of intellectual dishonesty and illogicality in your latest post.
But I will observe that referring readers to a study about the psychological and moral shortcomings of internet trolling, then saying that no one here is a troll, then calling the OP with whom you disagree as someone who's cruel and desperately seeking attention sure seems you're creating some drama of your own.
BTW, I know you must be frustrated professionally. I get that. And I'm sorry for your loss.

But again, all this is YOUR OPINION. It's YOUR DECISION to see posts as "cruel", "psyche destroying", "hurtful", "trouble stirring", "feeding off drama", etc. I choose not to see most posts that way unless there is name calling and like personal attacks. I rarely see that here. When I do, I call it out no matter what side of the argument they are on.
An amusing phenomenon to me? For the most part, feelings don't usually seem to be hurt until four or five people jump in and tell someone that they should be.
Bottom line, I will choose to post the way I want as will you. I will continue to interpret the posts the way I want, as will you. If someone thinks I am "cruel", "psyche destroying", "hurtful", "trouble stirring", "feeding off drama", etc., so be it. They will be absolutely wrong, but it is what it is.

I loved reading through this...
It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts.
As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street.
Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on.
You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on...
As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......

My husband and I keep bees on our property. We were so successful last year with our honey production and sales that this year we are expanding from 3 hives to 10. We intend to eventually make this a full time business.

Yes, you might argue with me, but I doubt you would win !!!! I always say ''If he was any more laid back , he'd be asleep !" He is calm , patient , easygoing, smart , caring and supportive. And for some unknown reason, is still wildly attracted to me, even after 33 years together. Through thick and thin, literally and figuratively !!!

What a great thread! Thanks for starting it @LipstickLady.
What's special about me? Maybe because I am the youngest child of 5, but I can get along with just about anyone. This has served me well! In my last job I worked for a state agency and beat out about 10 people to get the job. After being there a few years, I asked the supervisor what made her pick me. I thought maybe it was my obvious expertise, but no, she said that everyone agreed I would be the best to get along with! Turns out the last hire had been a disaster and couldn't get along with anyone.
I now work for the federal government and believe me, this skill continues to come in very handy

I can wiggle my nostrils. I love to do it at people in very serious moments knowing they can't laugh out loud!

I've got a smart mouth and a smart mind-both of which helped me to survive the loss of my little boy and go on to have 2 sassy daughters.

Sounds like a few folks in this thread might argue with you there, including me!

I have a hilarious sense of humor, a quirky fun personality, and "march to my own drummer. " Oh, how true ! I cant help it !!! I just see the funny side of everything ! It's . Not. My. Fault. That is all. I spent 3 years in the Army overseas, Im also a great salesperson, connect with animals , have a love of the English language, married the best husband, had a child and adopted 3 kids from the foster/ adopt program. Whew ! Im learning to cook, (loving it !), and can't wait to see what's coming next in my life !