tcrehm

Jan 11 weigh in = 175 lbs

@@ANewMe9/21 I'm doing the challenge!

SW 177
GW 167
Good luck everyone and thanks Sarah!

Correction @@tcrehm is called "Valentine's Day Weight Loss Challenge", hosted by vsgsarah3

I am not sure I would call it "major", but I am definitely losing some. Hopefully, it won't be too much. I have a lot of hair, but am definitely feeling more "scalpy".

@ tcrehm I have noticed some light shedding but that may just be because I am watching for it.

I had my sleeve 9 weeks ago. Things are going great, I've had a couple bad days but nothing major to complain about. I've lost 40 lbs in two months. So I am feeling really great with no regrets.
As we have all just gone thru the holiday season with lots of opportunities to fall off the wagon, I had no desire to eat anything bad for me. My in laws, mostly my mil and sil were so extremely rude throughout the holidays. On thanksgiving my mil announced at dinner I had had surgery and that's why I wasn't eating much. My husbands entire family was there. I was so mad. I chose to keep my surgery quiet. It's a personal matter and I tend to be a very private person and I didn't want all the attention. Well I know my mil was hoping for someone to make some rude comment Bc even before the surgery she was very rude about it. But it back fired on her and everyone was praising my lose and my decision. I could tell she was mad.
Well two weeks later we have my sons bday party at a local arcade. They had pizza and cake. I ate a healthy lunch before we left for the party. My mil once again announced in front of my sons friends and their parents that I wasn't eating Bc I had surgery. I was pissed. Then when I was serving cake to everyone a little while my sil says "I'm sure you are regretting your stupid surgery now. You know you want cake!" At that point I was done with both of them. I told her I was very happy with my "stupid surgery", I have no regrets, and I have no desire to eat sweets so if she could kindly keep her negativity to herself I would appreciate it. As soon as I left the room they both started talking crap about me to my ex mil who is like my mom. She shut them both down very quickly. Even she wasn't excited about my surgery but she has always been supportive.
So now we are at Christmas, my husbands family is talking to me about my weight loss and how good I'm looking and asking how things are going. Both my mil and sil kept interrupting making rude comments, bringing up how I had a bad day recently so it wasn't worth it, how the holidays have to suck for me Bc I can't eat like a normal person, and how they can't see a difference in my weight (I've gone down 3 sizes), and so on. I finally pulled them to the side and told them they need to cut the negative, rude, unnneeded comments. I told them they seem very jealous and hopeful for me to fail and i didn't appreciate that from people who are claiming to be family. If it continues we would no longer take part in their family gatherings.
So my mil turns around and tells my husband I was being a bitch (sorry for the language) and threatening to disown them. My husband was clueless to most of these comments and incidents other than the thanksgiving incident. And on thanksgiving he told her she was rude and disrespectful and it needed to stop. I filled him in on everything else and was furious. He called her and told her I had every right to say what I said and to be mad. And he stood by me completely.
I'm sure this will not be the end of it. But it's getting to the point I just don't want to be around them. Or I am gonna turn into that mega bitch she claimed I am. Anyone else deal with this kinda stuff from family or friends?

Hello everyone! Glad to check in and see everyone is making progress ???? I am down 50# since my surgery 9/30. I can eat anything I have tried so far, and only experienced problems after eating pistachios once.
I am sticking to the rules with Protein first and still have the occasional shake if I can't get my protein in.
I knew this was the surgery for me from day one and still so excited about my journey.
Finally went shopping (pants way too big) and was surprised that I went from a size 20 in plus section to a size 16 from Old Navy. Yep, tears of joy. All the best to each of you ~

So is anyone seeing any major hair loss yet? I haven't yet but hit my 3 month point next week and am wondering if that is my next "challenge"!

Merry Christmas everyone!

@@Desmond Longbottom when you Iron this out out can you share with me how you did it? " I still have to work on my reasons for eating as i still crave the "enjoyment" and "Comfort" that food brings. However that is a niggle that i am sure I will Iron out." I'm doing much better at this, but still not where I would like to be with it.
Thank you for sharing your status! Things sound awesome for you and I am so happy!

@@Desmond Longbottom when you Iron this out out can you share with me how you did it? " I still have to work on my reasons for eating as i still crave the "enjoyment" and "Comfort" that food brings. However that is a niggle that i am sure I will Iron out." I'm doing much better at this, but still not where I would like to be with it.
Thank you for sharing your status! Things sound awesome for you and I am so happy!

You're all welcome for that picture lol! Now, see why I need it fixed?! And I'm a adult so that makes everything harder since my bones should be fused already. We have to slowly break it all back open.

Tcrehm,no Hair loss. I had my surgery Sept 24th. So next week marks my 3 month post op. Here's hoping none of us experiences that!

No pix of me in the outfit, but this is the look..with black hosiery

I went on a date on Friday night. We went to a blues club where people take dancing seriously! I wasn't sure what the dress code was - ha - since Seattle is a pretty casual place (frumpy some might say!) when it comes to dressing "norms". My date and I are not very good dancers, but we braved the dance floor along with all those spinning and dipping couples that have been doing this awhile and we had alot of fun even if we didn't have the best technique.
I decided to dress how I thought I would like to look - not too concerned with what other might wear. I chose an above the knee black skirt (not a mini, but short) with flouncy ruffles. I wore a really cute patterned top that I like alot but seldom wear because it is dressier. I work dark hose and the most awesome multi color shooties (really, they are shoes, but they call them shooties when they look like booties influenced).
Once I selected my outfiit, I didn't give it another thought until this happened.... I went to the restroom and a very nice looking stylish woman came up and said "I have been admiring your outfit from across the room". We chatted a bit... she left... I did my thing, came out of the stall and another woman walked in and she said "I love those shoes - they are just perfect with your outfit"
It was nice to be validated, but I realized that I had no self consciousness, no thoughts about "am I dressing too young" (you know, fill in the blanks of self doubt).
It kinda hit me that the rest of the world really really really no longer sees me as morbidly obese... and maybe I am kinda reaching that state too. I look like a pretty normal woman and to be quite honest, much fitter than the average woman of my age range. It is an empowering feeling to no longer feel like I need to blend in or worry about how my "rolls" look.
In addition, I sometimes feel a certain amount of grief/shame about the physical problems I have as a result of a lifetime of obesity (mostly arthritis and joint problems). I am not sure how it came up, but my date mentioned he'd had a total hip replacement when he was about my age! This guy is slim, and has been an athlete his whole life. In his case, he took a huge fall while mountain climbing in his youth and it eventually caught up with him. It helped me reframe my own emotions about the damage to my body.
It is the past, we all have our stories and history and all we can do is make the best of right now and build toward an even better future. I am currently rehabbing my bum hip with a much more positive attitude than I had when I was first diagnosed and guess what - getting better results! It is estimated I have 3-4 years before I need that replacement, and I say bring it - I will be ready when it is time!

Hi Ladies,
I have lost over 120 pounds and up till a month ago I did not buy new bras. I know... lazy, scared who knows...
So last month went to Nordstrom, was fitted and have new bras. Let me tell you - my back feels better.
So advice - do not be like me.... go get new bras for each 25-30 pounds lost....

I travel for work quite a bit so eating out is much more often of an affair than I would like. I have followed the faithful "eat Protein first" rule and then a couple of bites of vegetable and that works well for me. It is harder to fight the head hunger when you see the food being served especially when it is a set meal for a group and comes with bread, Soup, appetizer, salad, main course and then dessert. However, my sleeve reminds me who is boss and I stop when the discomfort starts even if there is just a little bite left on my plate that is begging to be eaten so as not to be wasteful!
I have started covering my plate with a napkin when done eating for two reasons: 1) to keep me from eating any more than my stomach can comfortably hold 2) to help avoid the comments about how little I ate.
I hate seeing the distress in the wait staffs eyes when they think that I didn't like the food, but I assure them that it was good, I just can't eat much and that seems to help their concerns.
So eating out has not been as challenging as I expected for finding foods I can eat, just working on ways to make it easier for me as I go along. (I really crave having bread, wine and dessert sometimes so I conquer that by not thinking about it because nothing good can come from that!)

Good news des fans. I've be sprung. My consultant who didn't appear all day yesterday finally showed at 12 today. I'm not all that bothered in the end though. Had the last of my opiate based painkiller last night. Slept like a proverbial.

yeah. I guess I have a different perspective. My husband loved me when I was 125 lbs - he loved me when my weight ballooned up to 275 lbs and he loves me now that I am slowly loosing the weight. He cares and supports me through every decision I have made - even if he doesn't always agree or understand. Has he always wanted me to be thin and healthy - yeah, for sure - but he never withdrew his love because of it.
I loved him when he was a buff lean healthy man. loved him when he smoked for 20 years and I would have done anything to help him quit. I loved him when he finally quit. I loved him when he became a type 1 diabetic. I loved him when he had pancreatic cancer and nearly died. I loved him through a year of recovery from a whipple procedure. I loved him when he was diagnosed with leukemia. I loved him through all his chemo treatments - and still love him today - just as I did when I met him 41 years ago.
I know that a lot of things can cause a marriage to fall apart. I can tell you in no uncertain terms if there was abuse I would not tolerate it - but in my marriage vows I made a commitment 'to have and to hold till death do us part' Things aren't always perfect or easy.....sometimes it takes courage and understanding and just plain love to see it through.

first target achieved. current weight is 280lbs so i believe a rather large wohoooo is in order. next target is 100kg or 220 lbs.

Not sure of the number since I am staying off the scale. But, wanted to share surgery day and today.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

Hi all,
All, On my recent trip to Silicon Valley, I had an opportunity to catch up with an old acquaintance of mine, Joseph Rosenfeld. I know Joseph because during the period I lived in Silicon valley, I was working in some intense environments (technically speaking) and while running a couple large teams, I felt my image was not living up to what I wanted to project.
However, as we all know, that image we feel inside was clouded/obscured by obesity, which at that time, I was at my heaviest weight of 421. Talking with Joseph then I think started me on the path to WLS, because as an expert in clothing/style/body image, he was aware the change I needed could not be helped by clothes alone.
When I met Joseph this past Saturday for Breakfast (because I am considering working with him now that I have the WLS changes in process) he didnt recognize me, even though I had alluded to that issue when we discussed getting together over email.
It was great to see him and he was quite surprised at where I was in my journey and success I've had. We talked at length about the challenges Obese and WLS patients face in overcoming body dysmorphia and the mental challenges that seems so much more difficult and insidious than the pure physical surgery, etc. I hope I represented our community well, and we discussed many things, but apologies in advance if you dont feel this is applicable to you.
Well, Joseph felt my pain I think and since he does a weekly blog, decided to do this weeks post about many of the issues I brought up to him. You can find it here http://www.josephrosenfeld.com/category/blog/.
Joseph's a great guy and has faced many of his own challenges and demons and I really felt comfortable in sharing my journey thus far and I hope starting to open the eyes of professionals in the fashion/personal image consulting area to the issues we are facing.
Feel free to have a read and leave any comments for him. Or share them directly with our group here and I will pass them along.
yours truly,
Craig Cumberland

I did forget to mention that the universe may bring some ... shall we say balance.
Without getting into too much detail - we ran into 3 young people that know this man's son... and obviously know/recognize him too. He is a very charming, confident man so I saw no particular red flags except what I thought was the normal "I'd rather be on this date alone" kind of vibe. In hindsight...I am thinking he is probably wishing he had picked a different place to enjoy a drink and dinner.