Pondlife

I absolutely cannot stand clickbait articles. You know, the whole "she prayed all day and this ONE wacky thing happened! click here to find out!" It drives me completely bonkers. Want to know what the best way to make me flat-out refuse to read your stupid, pointless drivel and give your worthless, mindless site traffic? Give me a bullshit clickbait title! Irritating beyond belief!

You look amazing, and 10 years younger!

These pics are NOT easy to share because I have No make-up on and tons of loose skin and wrinkles, hence the the Yikes in my title! All that being said, I couldn't be happier and healthier. Last Summer I was wearing a size 22 swimsuit and the one I have on in the pic is a size 10, so YAY! Having had gastric bypass has truly saved my life. I was a slow but steady loser (can't exercise much due to a chronic nerve condition) and only have a few more pounds to go. These last 10 lbs. are the hardest. Being obese for 30 years took it's toll on me but I'm so happy now that I refuse to dwell in the past. Advice for those just starting out ... Take "Before" pics and measure yourself!!! Here are my stats:
54 years young
5' 2" tall
HW 285
SW 260
CW 138
GW 130
Inches Lost
chest: 12"
above waist: 21"
waist (@@belly button): 18"
below waist (apron): 19"
hips: 15"
thighs: 8"
knees: 3"
arms: 6"

She hates garden tools.

Shouldn't it have been 'byehos'? Just saying.
Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App

There seem to be a few things going on here.
First, you're doing yourself a disservice by discounting all the supportive people and letting this one nasty, miserable person color your view. Your history, motives, motivation and all the rest are none of her business. She is inappropriate in every way and beyond ludicrous to advise against surgery after the fact. Had she spoken up before your surgery, she'd have been out of line for commenting on something which you hadn't asked about. She doesn't matter in the least. My advice is to tell her not to speak to you about your surgery, your salads, your existence. You owe her no information or explanations, which you've been giving her albeit inside your own head.
Since she's announced to you that she's been gossiping about you with co-workers -- and it doesn't matter whether it's true - you can make a complaint at the HR dept. Office gossip is against the rules because it harms productivity and morale.
Whatever motivates this co-worker is irrelevant. You're the one who matters here. Your WLS success, ability to take pleasure in your choices and peace in the place where you spend so many hours each day are what matter. Let her stew in her own fatty juices.

OK ... here's the truth coming at you from an old broad who's seen some considerable s**t.
Y'know how to tell if someone is an evil influence? It's when their unsolicited, invalidative advice offered "for your own good" crawls around your brain like a poisonous scorpion shitting on every cell of your mind and soul.
From now on, you should make it blatantly clear to her that she is on your all-time s**t list. Don't pretend like you like her. Don't pretend like she has your best interests at heart (she doesn't). If she comes in and sits down at your luncheon table, get up and leave. She is dead to you.
And if she does it again, tell her you're going to report her to H.R. if she tries it a third time.
Oh, and don't assume anyone else is "talking about you." She is lying her ass off. That's just her imagining has any influence whatsoever over you. She might be self-aware enough to realize what she's doing. Or maybe she's just a meddling, clueless cretin.
Either way, she is dangerous to your well being -- ONLY if you give any credence whatsoever to the idiot noises she issued while her mouth was moving. What she thinks and what she says is 100% irrelevant to your life.
Now move on.
P.S. BTW, you keep doing that Subway salad thing you did -- it's brilliant! Love it!

I just had my initial consultation with my surgeon yesterday. I felt absolutely deflated when she told me I'd realistically reach about 185. My head was thinking 150. She said surgery will reset my body and I'll lose significant weight, but I'll probably not get to 150. Now, as I said I felt deflated because in my head I was visualizing 185 as still being really fat. Well, one of the insurance girls came in and I was visiting with her about my disappointment. She stood up and said, "I'm the same height as you, how much do you think I weigh? Guess, and I'll tell you." I looked at her and thought, man this girl looks wonderful. I guessed she was about 140 lbs. She smiles and says "oh honey, I wish. I'm 190. I'm considered overweight." My mouth dropped. Could not believe that that's what 'my ideal weight' looks like (in general). It shows just how distorted my mind has gotten when it comes to weight. If I look even close to that good, I'll be thrilled!!! It was very encouraging and inspiring. I don't care if I'll still be considered overweight. I'll be healthy!!! And over the moon happy!!! I rarely post, but felt like adding my experience. Bless you all.

oooooo. I'd have said - I bet I'm less likely to hurt myself being fat than you are to hurt yourself being stupid!

I'm the only obese one in my family, my mum is the only person I am telling as my father would be cruel and insulting to say the least.

Imma make a wild guess and say it was not a *guy* who discovered the clit.
Good link though.

I'm the only obese one in my family, my mum is the only person I am telling as my father would be cruel and insulting to say the least.

Thank you!!! And no kidding. That's the plan! My wife says she can't even begin to say it without laughing hahaha. In my life the only people who would ask are the same people who would yell "tidal wave" when I jumped in the pool last year... So SCREW THEM! They don't deserve the truth!!! I only told my mom, wife, and best friend. Boom!

Absolutely no judgement here but I would like to bring up some ideas. As a nurse I would be concerned about the fact that cross addiction is an enormous concern. After WLS people have an
increased chance of becoming addicted to other substances since food is no longer feeding our addiction.
I would also be concerned that alcohol and cocaine could upset the electrolyte apple cart and be more dangerous for a person that has had surgery vs one who hasn't. Please be careful, it would be crazy if you changed your life with weight loss and ended up an alcoholic.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Don't let the few negatives outweigh the lifetime of positives it will give you. Yes, there are hard times involved... but they go away. Then we all have a new body and life and spirit to obtain. Best of luck.
Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

There is a surgeon, Dr. Matthew Weiner, who has produced a very good series of videos on YouTube that provide a great deal of information about the surgery and weight loss. One of them discusses the changes that occur in our metabolic setpoint after weight loss surgery (can't remember exactly which one it was).
If I remember correctly the videos all advertise his book "A Pound of Cure", but looking past that they are full of good information about the surgery, the body's reaction to it, and how to be successful with it. You can search YouTube for "Matthew Weiner" and go to his channel, where you will find all of the videos.
In a nutshell, the sleeve resets our metabolic setpoint. Instead of your body striving constantly to retain fat, it now strives to lose fat to bring itself to it's new, more normal target. As long as we work with it by eating enough Protein, limiting carbs, sugar and alcohol, and provide some moderate exercise it works. This is why they say the sleeve is a tool... you need to make the behavioral changes to go along with it to allow your body to be successful.
To understand why resetting the metabolic setpoint is important, look at the recent articles published about The Biggest Loser contestants. They all lost great amounts of weight through diet and exercise. Many of them have gained it back. Diet and exercise alone don't work long term because they don't change the metabolic setpoint. When your body loses weight it goes into survival response mode and does all it can to restore the lost weight. We must change the setpoint for long term weight loss success. Changing the setpoint is the equivalent of changing the thermostat in your house. This is the key metabolic benefit of VSG.
Researchers believe your metabolic setpoint is controlled by the leptin-ghrelin-insulin balance in your system. VSG removes most of the stomach tissue that generates ghrelin (hunger hormone). This is why we aren't very hungry, except for head hunger, after surgery. Removing most of the ghrelin also affects the leptin (fat storage hormone) level, causing the body to want to reduce leptin levels and release fat. The change in both of these also impacts insulin levels, which reduces insulin resistance and in many cases immediately resolves type II diabetes. Endocrinologists don't know exactly why and how all of this works yet, but it does. In fact the ASMBS has reclassified the sleeve from a "restrictive" procedure to a "metabolic" procedure due to the impact it has on our metabolism.
I believe those that have not been successful believed that the surgery was all they needed, and didn't change their lifestyle, food selection or habits. The sleeve should be a catalyst to change to a new, healthier behavior.

@@shriner37
Dr Weiner is awesome! I've seen all his videos on YouTube.

I have to go through that comment once in a while.
Yes. If we could all eat 4 bites and exercise every day, etc etc. A lot more of us would be at a healthy weight.
Now for the caveat. You can mow your grass with a pair of garden shears, or you can use a lawn tractor. You can travel across country on foot, or you can get in a car.
The surgery is a tool. You still have to get up and go mow your grass, you still have to make it to the grand canyon. For some of us all we have are those garden shears or sneaker power to get those done.
I don't know if some people just come equipped with a push mower and a motorcycle, or if we had them and traded them away. Either way it's where we find ourselves. With something that needs to be done, and tools that will technically work, but not practically work.

@@OutsideMatchInside
Agreed! Skin cancer patiences aren't asked to prove they used sunscreen or sign something stated they will use sunscreen and stay out of the sun.
Obesity is about the only thing has not been effected by political correctness, it still okay to have bias about obese people.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have lost 100 pounds. I had VSG surgery nearly 21 months ago at age 68. I reached my weight loss goal (150 pounds) and then went on to lose another 15 pounds in the next 8 months. I've been maintaining at 135 pounds for nearly half a year now.
And my knee pain (arthritis and pain from various athletic injuries over the years) didn't completely go away until I lost those last 15 pounds.
And running (?!) when you're 130 pounds overweight is f**king nutty advice.
@@Inner Surfer Girl here has lost several hundred pounds and still has more to go. She (and others here) focused early on via Water exercises for obvious reasons.
There's another aspect to this, which is that exercise is necessary for health. You can't get around that. And you have to figure out something you can do that WILL exercise / challenge your body.
However ... you will ultimately lose all the weight you need to lose if (and only if) you eat the right foods and right amount of food that promotes the weight loss. There's a saying that goes (something) like this: You will lose your weight in the kitchen, not in the gym.
Finally, here is my #1 exercise rule: "Don't hurt yourself!"
I know you don't care for your surgeon and that you're limited to him due to your insurance situation and can't change surgeons. I understand that you trust his surgical abilities and plan to put up with him to get your surgery, but that you're (my language, not yours) considering a wider array of post-op advices to maximize your long-term WLS success.
I'd say to just nod carefully at his advices about exercise, continue to gather information, and make your own decisions.
And for the record, if I were 130 pounds overweight with severe pain in my feet no way in hell would I take up long-distance walking or any kind of running. That may (or may not) come later. I would sure hope you could walk a lot more easily and longer and faster down the line. But not now.

My son is also 8 and I have said to him that people like to talk about other people and don't always say the nicest things so I would prefer to keep my private life private and I would appreciate it if he would respect my privacy by not discussing my surgery. I told him that if anyone noticed my weight loss and asks him about it ( I have my mother in law in mind here) that he should just tell them to come talk to me.

My son is also 8 and I have said to him that people like to talk about other people and don't always say the nicest things so I would prefer to keep my private life private and I would appreciate it if he would respect my privacy by not discussing my surgery. I told him that if anyone noticed my weight loss and asks him about it ( I have my mother in law in mind here) that he should just tell them to come talk to me.

My son is also 8 and I have said to him that people like to talk about other people and don't always say the nicest things so I would prefer to keep my private life private and I would appreciate it if he would respect my privacy by not discussing my surgery. I told him that if anyone noticed my weight loss and asks him about it ( I have my mother in law in mind here) that he should just tell them to come talk to me.

I'm the only obese one in my family, my mum is the only person I am telling as my father would be cruel and insulting to say the least.