My4Brownies

When you feel good about taking pictures with others n selfies.
When your daughter says you do more around the house instead of just sit in my room.
When a very critical co worker n family member says,You look great in that color..when I've wore these scrubs before..lmao
When you can pass up the temptation food in the grocery store n fast food easier than b4.
Sad note: you know you lost weight when you start losing "friends" because they loved the heaviest girl in the bunch and not the out going one emerging..

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I had no idea about the amount until I got to my surgery date...yes 2 hours before surgery and I checked in... Luckily it wasn't noted that I was reached about a balance prior to my procedure and the insurance waived it and billed me, which gave me the opportunity to make payments. God was blessing me for sure because I would have been devastated if surgery was canceled due to it (I left my phone,credit cards and money with my daughter when she dropped me off) and I probably would have took it as a DUMB sign to not proceed on my new journey. Sleeved Nov. 9th and down 26lbs since surgery...Good luck to you and your success.

When you feel good about taking pictures with others n selfies.
When your daughter says you do more around the house instead of just sit in my room.
When a very critical co worker n family member says,You look great in that color..when I've wore these scrubs before..lmao
When you can pass up the temptation food in the grocery store n fast food easier than b4.
Sad note: you know you lost weight when you start losing "friends" because they loved the heaviest girl in the bunch and not the out going one emerging..

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

When you feel good about taking pictures with others n selfies.
When your daughter says you do more around the house instead of just sit in my room.
When a very critical co worker n family member says,You look great in that color..when I've wore these scrubs before..lmao
When you can pass up the temptation food in the grocery store n fast food easier than b4.
Sad note: you know you lost weight when you start losing "friends" because they loved the heaviest girl in the bunch and not the out going one emerging..

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

When you feel good about taking pictures with others n selfies.
When your daughter says you do more around the house instead of just sit in my room.
When a very critical co worker n family member says,You look great in that color..when I've wore these scrubs before..lmao
When you can pass up the temptation food in the grocery store n fast food easier than b4.
Sad note: you know you lost weight when you start losing "friends" because they loved the heaviest girl in the bunch and not the out going one emerging..

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I agree with wannabeH
I I struggled for 20yrs with weight gain/loss..I'm 5'4 and bmi put me at morbid obese at 276 highest weight..I tried every thing the last 2 urs..gym, diet pills, cutting out foods..no success..I knew I needed something that would internally(physically) limit me from eating cus mentally I was not doing it on my own...I and 11days post op and I am more conscience of my choices/limits more than I EVER have been...Don't get me worng, I was programmed through life that I needed to eat, when I'm running errands, work, visiting so that mental part is a life adjustment.. But now you will think (like me) that preparing foods n snack choices is bes???????????? I don't deal with chronic depression so seeking your doctor advice and keeping him/her updated on your feeling throughout your phases n writing them down in a journal or to us will help☺...Others will ALWAYS have a negative spin on everyrhing ...Making sure this is right for you is the most important thing..Good luck and keep us posted????
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Really!!! Small world!! Maybe we can connect & be sleeve buddies. When is your surgery? Who is your surgeon?

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I live in Enterprise also!

Washington DC

POMONA, Ca
I was sleeved on 11/21/16 I've lost OVER 65lbs

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When you feel good about taking pictures with others n selfies.
When your daughter says you do more around the house instead of just sit in my room.
When a very critical co worker n family member says,You look great in that color..when I've wore these scrubs before..lmao
When you can pass up the temptation food in the grocery store n fast food easier than b4.
Sad note: you know you lost weight when you start losing "friends" because they loved the heaviest girl in the bunch and not the out going one emerging..

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I usually use those as my treat as well...sweets was my problem at night and I can say the sugar free Popsicle worked for me.

I usually use those as my treat as well...sweets was my problem at night and I can say the sugar free Popsicle worked for me.

I worried alot about Hair loss when I first took this journey but I can say hitting 6 months on May 9th, I have not had any hair loss other than my usual shedding on occasion between styling. I do take my Vitamins and calcium chews faithfully so maybe that helps and the additional Protein may help since I did not follow a healthy diet in the past so maybe this body change is a help to me than a hinder...

I worried alot about Hair loss when I first took this journey but I can say hitting 6 months on May 9th, I have not had any hair loss other than my usual shedding on occasion between styling. I do take my Vitamins and calcium chews faithfully so maybe that helps and the additional Protein may help since I did not follow a healthy diet in the past so maybe this body change is a help to me than a hinder...

Great article and very well written to explain all the types...it really makes you think what type you are and it made me think that sometimes i used to (sometimes still think about) fell/fall into several of those categories. Reality check is always good medicine

It is a decision that takes you back and forth... I took this journey in November/2015 after researching all options. It can be a stressful roller coaster in itself. I am 6 months out (gastric sleeve) on the 9th and I can say it is working for me. I was on 4 medications and now only on my Multivitamins and calcium chews ... It may not be easy to decide but you are in the right direction in doing your research and having your doctor to give you resources is also a great move. I am sure with you being health conscious about you..you will make the right decision! Good Luck and keep us updated.

That's so funny OutsideMatchInside. Lol
I'm pre-surgery. Just went to Orientation and lab work begins this coming week. Then the 12 week Options class. My plans are only to tell my husband. He knows that I don't want anyone else to know. I'm a very private person and dont' want to share something that I think is personal. When asked how I'm losing the weight I'm going to respond with I'm now making eating healthier and exercising a priority.
Interesting thing.. my neighbor who has always been obese all of a sudden lost weight very quickly and lost his hair. I can tell he had WLS because I'm more aware of it now with all the reading I'm doing. Yesterday I walked over to him and told him he looked great. (I was curious if he'd mention he had WLS). He told me he's taking better care of himself and feels a LOT better. (I would never ask him, or anyone, if they had WLS). He thanked me for noticing his weight loss.
Like someone said.. it's a personal choice.

I had my surgery 16 days ago. My family and close friends know but I didn't tell my coworkers. I didn't even tell them I was going on leave. I go back May 1st and I've already lost 24# so I know I'm gonna get questions. I'm not trying to keep it a secret I just don't know how to go about telling them.

Not me, I wanna scream it from the top of the roof. But I just found out my cousin had it 2 years ago and told nearly no one. People just kinda thought she used meds or went on a low carb diet. For the first time in her life she reached healthy weight, but she had been able to go below 200 before with dieting. So everyone thought she just did that again. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me the other day, thinking that explains ALOT I wouldn't worry to much, IF people start asking. Just tell the you are trying out low carb diet or something.

I've had my surgery since 2015 and very few people know outside of my immediate family and closest friends.

I've been obese for about half of my life and I have an extensive medical history. I had my surgery April 11th and I decided before the surgery not to tell anyone. Only my wife knows and she is aware of my wishes to keep my surgery secret. Right now I am trying to figure out how to respond when my family members inquire about my rapid weight loss? Has anybody kept surgery a secret and how is it working out so far?

Good luck Tony you will feel and look amazing ! I'm 2 weeks post surgery and my clothes are getting bigger by the day I can't wait until I reach my goal weight of 130 lbs[emoji3]

Rollercoasters.
I took my kids (loose term, 15 & 16.5 both 6'1") to Universal last year and had to have the ride attendants squeeze, cram, and stuff me into a few rides. I fit (so I sit) but it was very uncomfortable and there were a few that I just couldn't ride.
I've always been a 'larger' guy but that definition has been stretching over the years. There are MANY things I want to be able to do, but those rollercoasters sealed the deal.
I wrote out a list of things I want to do when I made this decision. Things like ride rollercoasters, fit in the band's t-shirts when we go to concerts, wear pants from the 'regular' section, not hide in photos, get off CPAP, be able to hike a trail without knee pain, get out and enjoy life, and live a little longer for my wife and boys.
I just started this journey and have my surgeon meeting March 15th. I am nervous as hell but I can not wait to get started!

Why Psychologists Deny Certain People for Weight Loss Surgery and How to Not be One of Them


I have worked as a psychologist, providing psychological evaluations prior to bariatric weight loss surgery for the past eight years. For the most part, people need a power tool to help them lose and keep off the weight they have lost over and over again in their lives. The gastric sleeve, bypass, and now balloon are those tools. However, every once in a while, I will encounter someone who believes these procedures are the magic bullet.
I can pick this up in five seconds when I learn that:
this person has no exercise plan to maintain their weight loss a barrage of excuses as to why they can't exercise anymore zero insight into why they are overweight ("I don't know why I am overweight, I just eat steamed vegetables and grilled chicken mostly.") a lack of motivation or understanding for why they also have to engage in behavioral modification in addition to the surgery "Why would you reveal all of this?" you ask. Aren't I giving away the keys to the kingdom to anyone who reads this and wants to pass a psychological evaluation? Perhaps- but who are you really cheating if you don't go within and face the real demons that got you here in the first place?
When I ask people about their eating styles, I tend to group them into four categories:
1) emotional eater- someone who uses food when they are bored, stressed, tired, lonely, sad, or even happy in addition to eating when they are hungry
2) skip and binger- someone who fails to think about food until it is too late, and when they are ravenous end up going for whatever is available which is usually some type of carb and calorie laden fast food
3) miscellaneous- someone who just recognizes that they eat too large of portion sizes and/or the wrong types of food
4) food addict- usually someone with a history of other addictions, trauma, and a significant amount of weight to lose. They usually have comorbid psychological diagnoses that have been unaddressed or ill-addressed.
Out of the four categories, the 4th is the most troubling for a psychologist. This particular person is most correlated with the patient who fails to address their core issues, eats "around the sleeve," or bypass, experiences dumping syndrome, comes back a year later and asks for the bypass, or a different procedure.
This is the person who, ironically, is usually the most resistant to my recommendation that they seek therapeutic support prior to the surgery. They want it done YESTERDAY. They want it NOW. It is this type of thinking that got them into trouble in the first place. The impulsivity and lack of emotional regulation.
I've witnessed people fail to address their maladaptive eating patterns and never quite get to their goal weight. I had a male that would buy a bag of pepperonis at the grocery store and snack on them all day and couldn't understand why he wasn't losing weight. This daily "snack," which was a mental security blanket, served as a veritable IV drip of fat and calories throughout the day.
I've had a woman who figured out how to ground up her favorite foods into a liquid form because she never quite let go of her attachment to "comfort foods." One of her most notable liquid concoctions consisted of chicken and Cheetos. I'll just leave that for you to chew...er swallow.
They say with drug and alcohol recovery- you "slay the dragon," but with food addiction recovery, you have to take it for a walk three times a day. If you don't fundamentally shift your relationship with this dragon, you're going to get burnt when you are walking it.
My number one tip for transforming your relationship with food is to start looking at eating the same way you do as brushing and flossing: You don't necessarily salivate at the idea of what type of toothpaste you will use, where you will do it, who you will do it with, right? You just do it twice a day because you don't want to lose your teeth and you want to maintain healthy gums.
Food has to be thought of in the same way. You fuel up. You don't use food as a place to define your quality of life. You don't use food to Celebrate. You don't use food to demarcate the end of a long day. You don't use food to help you feel less alone. You figure out healthier coping alternatives to meet these needs.
Loneliness-call a friend for support
Celebrate- get a massage
Demarcate the end of a long day- start a tea ritual and use essential oils
Another reason you must say goodbye to comfort food is that it triggers the pleasure center of the brain, which ignites our dopamine, which perpetuates the addiction. Many people think we are just telling them to get rid of the comfort food because of the carbs or calories, but there are unique and harmful chemical consequences to ingesting these types of food we know are bad for us.
If you are ready to take a modern approach to weight loss and stop dieting for good- check out my wls/vsg psychological support course here for free.
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