Christinamo7

you are stunning example of success! *wild applause* but it does take a while I think, for our minds to catch up with the accomplishment. and if someone else felt the way you are feeling what would you tell them? sometimes we are more kind to others than we are in our self talk. which is unfortunate. what is it you are looking for to 'feel' successful?

at this point I am not eating enough volume of it to worry about the sodium - but if sodium is a concern for you I'd stick with the lower sodium versions. one thing I did last weekend was roll up some leftover asparagus stalks in one slice of deli ham (very thin as it is rolled around) and half a slice of really good swiss cheese. then I cut them in half. 2 stalks of asparagus in each roll. they were FABULOUS as a little snacky treat. I have done the same with baby spinach in the middle, again so good. you could spread the ham thinly with some Dijon mustard if that is too your liking. a little tiny smidge of honey mustard might be just the thing. anyway, you can come up with a satisfying snack that uses deli meat as an ingredient but where the other ingredients are not as sodium heavy if you want.

my doctor's plan had a list of good types of Vitamins - and calcium. anything else is based on how your bloodwork comes back. I bought the chewables from unjury - for right after? turns out I could have swallowed a regular pill just fine but I took them until they were used up. Now I take a regular woman's multi. I have to take the under 40 (with iron) for now, but I am hoping by year two to switch to the ones without Iron due to not having a cycle anymore. right now I am not eating enough volume of iron rich foods. my 3 month bloodwork came back excellent. I don't take b 12, but I do drink Vitamin Water zero daily and so I suppose that counts as a b supplement.

my surgery scars are very small - maybe an inch or so for the longest, the others maybe 1/4 inch? and they will really be nothing by next year. compared to other ways I've scarred up my body over my life, this is nothing. I can try to get a picture later, I am almost 4 months out so they are still slightly red. Family can sometimes be tricky. because they care, and they worry for you. I am considerably older - shoot, I have kids considerably older than you - but my family was worried when I told them my decision. However, they were also worried about my health due to obesity and comorbidities - so at the end of the day they supported my decision. If yours does not turn out to be supportive you will have to decide if the risk/benefit is worth you going through this and finding other areas of support. let us know how you are doing!

yes! I had a hysterectomy last summer, done quite urgently and it is a debate for me which surgery was the most life changing. I am so very happy with the changes following both. the WLS was the easier of the two for me to recover from, by far.

next week! I will be having a colonoscopy that day so that will remind me to think of you! Please let us know how you are doing - do you feel ready?

oh @@gpmed I have a few of those shots on my phone too but thankfully even that part of my body is shrinking away. this WLS. wild ride, but so rewarding!

this morning I was walking the dog at "dark thirty" wearing a tee shirt that I honestly thought before was just skimpy on the fabric as I bought it at Target last year. sometimes cheaper stores cut their shirts shorter.... anyway. I used to have to tug at it so my belly wouldn't sneak out and show someone (that belly I had was quite a flasher) I must have been stretching it side to side well darn if that shirt doesn't hang past my hips to the top of my thighs now that this fat suit is melting away. I'm now in danger of the v neck revealing something more substantial than flashing my tummy! so glad I wear it with a sports bra.

if you find you are obsessing you can just stop doing it altogether again, and we will be here to try to find a different way to help you figure out what's going on.

Hey, that's very encouraging. I have had some progress in getting my eyes and tummy in sync - but I'm not quite there yet.

welcome! I look forward to seeing how things go for you.

if everyone could please take turns coming by to massage my head for the next 6 months, I'd like to test this theory out.

congrats you two! I am looking forward to following your progress.

ah, I was wondering how you were doing with the soft foods! I think figuring out how to fit our new dietary needs into our work lifestyles is one of the hardest things, it's like learning a new dance routine. Some days when they want me on the front desk (where we can't eat) it has been a challenge - it took me a while to figure out a routine that worked for me and so I hope, and trust that you will also find a routine that works for you. I do have to pack all my food and drink for the day, except dinner unless I am the late person in the morning and dole it out as I can to make sure I meet my needs. it's a challenge for sure.

hahaha! that's so sadly true for me too! It is normal to be nervous, I sure was! I am looking forward to following your progress.

I don't like to track either, and I don't want my life to be about that. however. I do eat similar things a lot of the time so about 3 times a month I spend a day tracking - and measuring. the only thing I weigh all the time are the almonds in my biweekly snack. nuts are healthy and good - but I need to make sure I am having the amount I need. I wonder if this kind of approach might be helpful for you?

do you still have follow up visits with your team? maybe if you give more information people can help you get a plan together - tomorrow is always a brand new day.

from what I understand you still have hunger hormone in your system. and then there is always head hunger as we make the changes. it is kind of the worst part of the process, at least it was for me. Hang in there, it will get better quickly.

you do *not* look sickly at all. I am sorry they hurt your feelings.

@@LipstickLady please make up your mind if you want a general answer or a specific one. you can't have it both ways and I have already told you I am not going to dig through old posts to find you an example and I doubt anyone else will either. I worry about the people who are researching WLS and need to confront *why* they don't want anyone to know - because I feel if they are ashamed or even if they just feel like they are lying that could have serious implications for them during the maintenance period when the hard work of keeping the weight off begins. privacy? not an issue or a problem, but the other things are landmines. much better to get your emotional crap together before surgery as much as possible.

well since you want a more general answer - I feel from reading these posts 'ad nauseam' some people are conflicted about not telling, and seem to attack those who tell because it makes them second guess their own decisions as far as transparency. it makes them *feel* like they are lying. and lets face it - there are *some* people who do not want others to know they had WLS because they truly are ashamed of their choice, or need of the choice. they want to present themselves falsely as being something they are not - and some of those some are here on those threads being every bit as unkind as some of the "tellers" are. I don't think keeping your medical history to yourself is lying in any way shape or form unless you imply that the dietary changes are all there is to your success. just omitting that part is not lying if you are doing it for privacy reasons. I doubt you do that if privacy is what you are after. I am pretty transparent, but I do not tell everyone all of my business, medical or otherwise and I try to have good sense about when it is appropriate and welcomed. but seriously, why should anyone even care what someone else, especially someone online, thinks of their choice? Even if I did think you were a little liar - so freaking what? the only thing that matters is if you are content with the choices you are making. I love the saying when you are 20 you worry about what others think. when you are 40 you don't care what others think. when you are 60 you realize they weren't even thinking of you at all. I think there's a lot of truth to that.

welcome to the club!

of course you are! I was the first time I had surgery too. but most of the time you will be fine. just be honest with your team and most especially your surgeon and anesthesia so they will know how to take care of you. and keep us posted about your journey.

Since they said to try the diet alone for a month - during that month try other ways to manage your stress - yoga is very effective - look for a *relaxing* yoga video like peggy cappy yoga for the rest of us, not a super hard yoga work out, as that would not be relaxing. or look up bedtime yoga poses on google or your search engine of choice. relaxing walking pace, see this article: http://www.metaboliceffect.com/can-your-chosen-surroundings-help-you-burn-more-fat/ I also like epsom salts baths with lavender oil, and afterwards I rub melted coconut oil on to further help me relax. resting with quiet music (I am not kidding even 15 minutes can make a world of difference) dancing for 15 minutes with loud obnoxious music on (scorpions and def leppard for me please)

you're just looking for a fight, you can't possibly have read the same threads I have and not seen people put down or slam all people who tell in a group. Truth is I would not have reacted to your labeling the whole lot of us as "tellers" in a very disparaging way if I hadn't seen the same behaviors from others. if you choose to believe one side is completely appropriate and not in any way defamatory to the other side so be it. stay in your happy 'one way street' place. I certainly am not going to go looking for past examples to point it out to you because it just isn't worth my time. I called you on it because as a host and veteran there is a higher expectation on you than on others.