KristenLe

@@KittyCathy22 You're not losing the old you - just the body you were occupying! :-) I agree - these before & after pictures are very inspiring!

@@OKCPirate I didn't check out.... im still here and by the way.... no way am i going anyplace. Im still waiting on pictures.. You know for scientific purposes of course....
@@Dub that is one of my fav... movies of all times.....Ive been thinking mr hand... If im here and your here... is't it OUR time...

Thank you all for giving me the conversation that I needed to hear. My mom has told me it is probably jealousy, which is probably right. I want to grab life by the horns before it grabs me first.
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I haven't had surgery yet but feel that not telling obese friends is doing them a disservice. If it weren't for a woman at work being open about her journey I may not have even looked into surgery. We know how hard it is to do this on our own and when we don't tell them about the most helpful tool we've had to lose - they must feel like failures. I'm not shouting it on the roof tops but if asked, I'm going to tell friends, family and coworkers. Congrats on your success, Cape! Well done and something to be proud of!

I have not gone through WLS yet but in my experience with other surgeries or situations involving pain management... Take them as prescribed (especially in the first few days) as once you stop the med and the pain sets in it is difficult to catch back up.

Thanks @@KristenLe! I've decided to try using my CPAP tonight to see if it makes a difference.

I'm so sorry for your loss! Please go to counseling and a grief support group. My heart breaks for you and your granddaughter!

Hi, everyone, I've been on the fence about the surgery for a few months now, and a visit with my rheumatologist yesterday tipped the scales.
I kept thinking "heck, if I followed the post-op diet, I'd lose weight and wouldn't need the surgery". But I'm 46, and I've been dieting some 30 years. Obviously, it doesn't work long-term for me.
Back when I was 230-ish (I'm 5'9") I was able to take off 20 or 30 lbs and keep it off almost a year, but it always crept back on. The last truly successful time was when I was 200-ish and dropped to about 175 and maintained for a couple of years. But the last 5-6 years have been a huge struggle with going back to school (nursing school) while working full time after a divorce and numerous health issues with both me and my kiddo. I pushed over 300 for the first time this last fall. If I were still in the 230 range, I'd keep slugging away with diet/exercise.
But as nurse and a research fiend, I've been looking at the research, studies, and statistics. While it's not impossible for someone with 130-ish lbs to lose and keep it off, the statistics are not even close to promising. And the last year has given me a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (was rheumatoid until yesterday, new symptoms clarified the diagnosis) which has made it very hard for me to exercise. Nursing school combined with inactivity due to pain caused the last 40-50 lb gain, which has resulted in my cardio conditioning to be completely awful. Walking less than 5 minutes yesterday from the cab to my doctor's office and back to the exam room saw my heart rate at 157 and I was winded.
Something has to give. Like I said, I was on the fence until I mentioned the possibility to my rheumatologist. She is enthusiastically for the surgery in my case. Apparently fat cells secrete leptin (which I knew) that *directly* affects the disease activity for psoriatic arthritis (this I did not know). Most hormones involved in auto-immune disorders are estrogen-modulated, and fat cells secrete estrogen. While the surgery will not cure my arthritis, it can render the treatments much more effective on top of reducing the load on my joints through weight loss. That pushed me over, and I'm going to a seminar tonight to talk to the surgeon my rheumatologist recommends.
I was worried about dealing with the auto-immune with surgery recovery, but my sis (who had the surgery a couple of years ago) put me on a Facebook support group where a bunch of people with auto-immune talked to me about the benefits to their condition with the surgery, and I'm feeling much better about it.
I'm sorry this is long-winded, but I saw the question in the post, and writing it all down helps me process. I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this, but I know it will help my health, and I guess the time is now.

ATTA GIRL! I was sleeved on 4/27/15, and my one year is tomorrow. It's been quite a year, but a good one. Well done!

Sorry so excited forgot to finish writing.. Tomorrow is my big day!
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I'm finished with the psych evaluation! Y'all were right there was nothing to it! Thanks again!
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Cool, sales are great. Though I am very saddened to see that you guys no longer carry the non-spinach Quest pasta... I'm allergic to spinach. :'(

I am within 5 pounds of scheduling my next massage.
I think my one year anniversary gift to myself is going to at the very least be a mani pedi.

@@maggie409 - welcome to the forum. I'm five years post divorce, I took a year off to get my head clear before jumping into the dating pool, but for four years I was out looking for Ms. Right. Finally after a couple of serious relationships I found her. Just remember this is bit of numbers game. Last year I took at my three months on Match.com:
I sent 149 emails via their site
I received 61 back
15 coffee dates
6 real dates
3 multiple dates
1 possible match that had to be aborted because there were still issues to be resolved post divorce .
And finally She showed up and we have been going out for the last eight months and it keeps getting better every time we go out.
I kept track of the numbers because I know it's easy to get discouraged and think, what's the point? I'm not saying this is easy. To tell you the truth, I'm busy, but I put dating time in my schedule. It was as important as exercise to me. It takes mental energy to think about how I was going to make an online approach. Some of my tactics worked, others didn't. But I tried different things. Eventually it all came together.
So what about the women who didn't make the cut? I don't leave ladies hanging. If I don't sense there is chemistry, I just let them know. I find they knew before I did. The women respect guys who don't leave them hanging. Five of the women I met online are now Facebook friends. They were nice people, or I would not have even reached out to them.
Bottom line dating is a numbers game. If you think about the odds against finding the right person by simple random chance outside of college, well those odds are very long. It is work, but it's work with benefits and fun if you do it right.
But, Ms. Right was a year post divorce and only went out with one person...me. So she doesn't have any funny dating horror stories, but that's ok with me.
FYI - here my best unsolicited dating advice:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/336754-unsolicited-online-dating-advice/

Well at least you recognize the problem, which is good. If you are like me I'd say don't have any nuts in the house. Yes, they have Protein and are a good source of healthy fats, but, they taste great and are very calorie-dense, so it's very easy to overdo them. Throw them out and don't buy more.
Lowfat cheese and turkey wraps are certainly better, and you need to use Protein Bars, but sure you can overdo those too. At minimum, I'd say keep a food diary where each day you write every single item down that you eat, along with its calories, as you eat it - that will make you more aware of what you are eating.
The last thing I can suggest is to keep some low calorie Snacks, like sugar-free Jello, fresh baby carrots, and fresh fruit in the fridge. Those will give you a lighter alternative if you want something to chew on.

Stop watching TV. I just read that you should read instead ... No tempting commercials! :-)

For the record ...
I did NOT like my body or a lot of other things about myself when I was fat.
I didn't accept my body when I was fat. That wasn't the body I was meant to have.
I had trouble walking, I was agoraphobic, I was embarrassed, I was not happy.
Frankly, the whole situation sucked.
And, frankly, my unhappiness with my body and that situation motivated me mightily to learn about WLS and, eventually, decide it was a solution that might work for me.
I like everything about my body and myself and my life a WHOLE LOT MORE when I'm not fat.

for anyone who doesn't remember the 1980's Dub is talking about:

October 2015

April 2016 (not after pics.....but DURING pics....long way to go to reach AFTER status)

I got so tired of being alone that I did online dating. I only joined websites for chubby people (datingcurves). I met some scam artists, sleazeballs, some nice guys and eventually my boyfriend of nearly 7 years. He's seen me at my worst and I hope after WLS our relationship gets even stronger (and the sex better). . I honestly never thought I could put myself out there - especially being obese - but I did and as my sister used to tell me - you're not going to meet anyone sitting at home! Just be safe!

Well I must say...your boobs look fantastic! :-). Mine will probably be sagging to my knees! Lol You have inspired me!

are you kidding? you have earned way more than an "atta girl"!
You have worked so hard and your journey/posts/insight are truly inspirational to those of us just starting out.
time for a happy dance!

I believe that you are truly an exceptional person Inner Surfer Girl. Your spirit, honesty and commitment have been an inspiration. Your posts and replies are always filled with intelligence and compassion. You deserve a very loud "ata girl"!!

You are truly an inspiration! Your success in just a year is amazing and you should be proud!

I was sleeved April 20, 2015 and have my one year follow-up appointment today,
This year has flown by.
I am over half-way to goal.
I am regaining my mobility. A year ago I needed my mom to drive me and a step to get into her SUV (I couldn't get into her sedan). I couldn't do my own grocery shopping, and couldn't walk or stand very long. Today, I am driving myself, and will probably stop and shop after my appointment.
I am swimming laps 3-4+ times a week (since starting to use a fitness tracker a few months ago, I have swum over 150 miles in laps).
I sleep well and don't oversleep much anymore.
I am starting to be able to participate in life again.
If I don't get at least an "ata girl" at my appointment I am going to be disappointed!