bewell

My new mantra.
Recently a recovering alcoholic said to me:
"I may always be an alcoholic but I will NOT die a drunk."
It really moved me and inspired me.
Now I say to myself many times a day:
"I may always have a lifelong decease of obesity BUT I WILL NOT die obese!"
For my age (64) and new weight charts according to age, I have about 60 pounds to go until I am at at normal weight.
God willing......giving me time to be a successful WLS patient---- I WILL NOT DIE OBESE!
One day at a time!
I am so grateful I have this opportunity to be at healthy weight enjoying each moment I have left on this beautiful planet.
Best wishes to all of you!

My new mantra.
Recently a recovering alcoholic said to me:
"I may always be an alcoholic but I will NOT die a drunk."
It really moved me and inspired me.
Now I say to myself many times a day:
"I may always have a lifelong decease of obesity BUT I WILL NOT die obese!"
For my age (64) and new weight charts according to age, I have about 60 pounds to go until I am at at normal weight.
God willing......giving me time to be a successful WLS patient---- I WILL NOT DIE OBESE!
One day at a time!
I am so grateful I have this opportunity to be at healthy weight enjoying each moment I have left on this beautiful planet.
Best wishes to all of you!

Four months out and I still miss the planning, thinking, eating, warm fuzzy I TEMPORARILY got from my food addiction. It wasn't just putting it in my mouth. It was a love/hate affair. A deadly affair.
It does get better. Now I spend more time feeling how my body moves better, faster, takes up less room. Easier to go up steps, get up from a chair. walk into a room and NOT feel like I take up the ENTIRE room. The best lately is in public close quarters.....I used to feel like I just didn't fit. That I couldn't walk between two tables in a restaurant (and I couldn't}, now I can move around so much better. It feels wonderful.

I can almost feel my hip bones. When I felt them at first I wondered "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT"! Some cancer or something. No..... just my hip bones. It's been a long time since I felt them.
Bottom-line....I feel my body more and now I think about that instead of what I'm going to eat and hate myself for eating it.
Hang in there! It is a loss.....suggest you feel the loss, recognize the changes, have a farewell party for how you used to eat, but find other things to occupy your thoughts and time. It's worth it.

My new mantra.
Recently a recovering alcoholic said to me:
"I may always be an alcoholic but I will NOT die a drunk."
It really moved me and inspired me.
Now I say to myself many times a day:
"I may always have a lifelong decease of obesity BUT I WILL NOT die obese!"
For my age (64) and new weight charts according to age, I have about 60 pounds to go until I am at at normal weight.
God willing......giving me time to be a successful WLS patient---- I WILL NOT DIE OBESE!
One day at a time!
I am so grateful I have this opportunity to be at healthy weight enjoying each moment I have left on this beautiful planet.
Best wishes to all of you!

My new mantra.
Recently a recovering alcoholic said to me:
"I may always be an alcoholic but I will NOT die a drunk."
It really moved me and inspired me.
Now I say to myself many times a day:
"I may always have a lifelong decease of obesity BUT I WILL NOT die obese!"
For my age (64) and new weight charts according to age, I have about 60 pounds to go until I am at at normal weight.
God willing......giving me time to be a successful WLS patient---- I WILL NOT DIE OBESE!
One day at a time!
I am so grateful I have this opportunity to be at healthy weight enjoying each moment I have left on this beautiful planet.
Best wishes to all of you!

My new mantra.
Recently a recovering alcoholic said to me:
"I may always be an alcoholic but I will NOT die a drunk."
It really moved me and inspired me.
Now I say to myself many times a day:
"I may always have a lifelong decease of obesity BUT I WILL NOT die obese!"
For my age (64) and new weight charts according to age, I have about 60 pounds to go until I am at at normal weight.
God willing......giving me time to be a successful WLS patient---- I WILL NOT DIE OBESE!
One day at a time!
I am so grateful I have this opportunity to be at healthy weight enjoying each moment I have left on this beautiful planet.
Best wishes to all of you!

@@Veronica Page
Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that.
Best wishes to you!

@@Eli Alexander
I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese
The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

@@Veronica Page
Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that.
Best wishes to you!

You know before my sleeve surgery I didn't know that the port removal was painful but NOW yes I do know. That area where they pulled the port out really hurt for a long time. Much longer than my other incisions.
I get the risk aversion and totally understand. In the past I have had problems with anesthesia. They have to give me less because I go under so hard. They did give me too much for my sleeve and it took me hours to wake up.
It is good that we can find the Doc that suits us best. And the recovery is so different for each person. At almost 4 months out I still have to be carful what I eat where I know of other sleevers who ate almost anything 6 weeks out. Not me.
Best wishes to you.

Obviously you know your surgeon and trust his judgment. I'm not trying to question your doc.
BUT........My understanding is that generally just having any sugery and going under anethesia is often the most dangerous part of any surgery. So two surgeries with recovery would be a much higher risk that just one.
For me, there was no way I was going to have my band removed, then recover and then do the sleeve. Two surgeries, two periods to recover. I had already had 2 band surgeries because of a slip. Every time they go into the stomach for surgery, scar tissue is developed and it makes it harder to have additional surgeries.
My Doc said he used to do the revision in 2 surgeries but then it seemed much harder on the patients so now if at all possible, he does it in one.
Just another side to the story. Doctors only practice and do it their way.

@@Eli Alexander
I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese
The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

@@Eli Alexander
Eli you are doing amazing!! And making the changes you want. Congrats and so happy so see people do this at 40 instead of 64 like I did.
You've got your entire life really to live it fully and healthy. So happy for you.

My doc used to do band removal and then wait for healing and do sleeve. Now if at all possible he does the removal of the band and the sleeve in the same surgery. He said it seems easier on the patient then 2 surgeries and he can usually get the band out pretty fast. My surgery was 3 hours.
There is no way I was going to have it in two surgeries. I was only wiling for them to do their best to do the revision in one. And thankfully that is how it went.

I am a lap-band revision to sleeve. I had a lot of problems with the band (slips and lots of constant pain) but never vomiting. The band just wasn't the best solution for me.
I am much happier with the sleeve. No pain and for me it's easier to eat right foods and just a little bit.

BUT I do vomit and have acid reflux with the sleeve. I probably vomit 1-2 times a week. Either from eating too fast or too much. Too much is just a few little bites too much. To fast, well I got too hungry and eat too fast. Also, I had a lot of trouble early on with the sleeve and vomiting. Even vomited brushing my teeth early on.
Even with this I love my sleeve. It is so much easier for me. The band was always a problem. With the sleeve I eat like a little bird. 3-4 small meals a day and a few Protein drinks. I am losing weight at a good pace, I haven't cheated and just a little Protein like 2 ounces of chicken or 1 egg and I'm full for hours. I NEVER had that with the band.
Best wishes on your journey.

@@Eli Alexander
Eli you are doing amazing!! And making the changes you want. Congrats and so happy so see people do this at 40 instead of 64 like I did.
You've got your entire life really to live it fully and healthy. So happy for you.

@@Eli Alexander
I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese
The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

Best wishes to you. You are going to do great! Those bands aren't for everyone. Sure wasn't for me. I am so much better off with the sleeve then the band. Good riddance.

You know before my sleeve surgery I didn't know that the port removal was painful but NOW yes I do know. That area where they pulled the port out really hurt for a long time. Much longer than my other incisions.
I get the risk aversion and totally understand. In the past I have had problems with anesthesia. They have to give me less because I go under so hard. They did give me too much for my sleeve and it took me hours to wake up.
It is good that we can find the Doc that suits us best. And the recovery is so different for each person. At almost 4 months out I still have to be carful what I eat where I know of other sleevers who ate almost anything 6 weeks out. Not me.
Best wishes to you.

Congrats on losing while traveling bewell. It's been three months since the surgery for me, and my stress isn't really from the dieting or surgery. But no matter what the stress, I don't have good ol food to fall back on. That's fine, I'm learning as I go. And the weight loss has been fantastic. Also, I just got back from my 3 month follow up and was so pleased to see every test they did turn out perfect except for being a little low on Iron. My blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol and everything else has returned from borderline dead to healthy as an ox. My birthday is at the end of May and I'm on track to lose 100lbs total (26 pre surgery) by my birthday. What an amazing gift I can give myself.

@@Veronica Page
Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that.
Best wishes to you!

@@Eli Alexander
I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese
The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

@@Eli Alexander
I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese
The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

Well I'm back cause I FINALLY broke that stall I was having. Took a lot out of me emotionally to be in that one for so long. I didn't want to whine about it in the thread so I just dealt with it and came back when I broke it. I went back and did my pre op diet and worked out twice a day for 5 days to finally break it but I needed it. I was slipping slowly back into old habits with the carbs. I also spent a week realizing what I problem will not be able to eat anymore and have to make some forever changes to my diet. One 90% of meats are out for me. Fish is fine but most beef, chicken and definitely pork is out for me. I eat it and it just sits on my stop not matter how I intake it. Also NO fast food whats so ever. I have eaten a kids meal from some of my "favorite" places and I have gotten sick each and every time. No chocolate either, it upsets my GERD to a whole nothing level. I know some people were asking why are you eating these things anyways. Cause I choose to and and I wasn't going to say that I never was again. Now I know what I can handle. Well there is my update! Hope everyone is doing well and having a great work week!

Oh, I forgot. I posted above. I'm traveling for 3 weeks......and no scale in the suitcase so no weighing for at least 21 days.