celticNgel

I'm going to go back to college - I don't care if I'm 55 - and finish my last few classes to get my Bachelors Degree! Why? Just because I can!!!!

I'm going to go back to college - I don't care if I'm 55 - and finish my last few classes to get my Bachelors Degree! Why? Just because I can!!!!

I'm going to go back to college - I don't care if I'm 55 - and finish my last few classes to get my Bachelors Degree! Why? Just because I can!!!!

15 lbs from goal. It's taken me a bit but Im there ! SW: 268 Weight day of surgery: 245 CW: 150

I'm on my way today! I am at the very beginning of my journey and just lost my 1st pound!! I'm going to Celebrate EVERY SINGLE ONE....and you guys are stuck with me! LOL

1. Wear a pair of little white shorts (or just shorts in general)
2. Go through the turnstiles normal at Disneyland instead of sideways.
3. Be the actual weight on my drivers license.
4. Be able to run/jog a good distance without getting winded.
5. Have my significant other be able to pick me up.
6. Not have my thighs constantly rub together and make that vip noise when walking. (Bye chaffing)
7. Not having my body clap when doing jumping jacks or switching positions.
8. Never worrying about a chair with arms, how much room in a booth or a seatbelt fitting properly EVER AGAIN.
9. Not constantly thinking about my weight, it will be nice to focus my attention on normal things.
10. Did I mention wearing shorts?

1. Fly without a seatbelt extension
2. Parasailing
3. Zip lining
4. Ride rollercoasters again
5. Shop in a regular store. No plus sizes
6. Obstacle mud races
7. Dresses, dresses, dresses
8. Be able to wear shorts again comfortably.
9. Backpacking tour of Scotland Highlands
10. Jet skiing


Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Only 10...lol
1. Weigh 30#s less than my hubby
2. Fit into ex-wife's motorcycle chaps (and have them fall off)
3. Get my arss in western saddle w/o a step stool (I can't hope to vault into the saddle like when I was 18 though...)
4. Rise up from the floor w/o looking like a weeble.
5. Wear belted anything, esp. vintage dresses.
6. Dance better.
7. Shop anywhere and everywhere.
8. Do chin-ups and push-ups.
9. Hike more than 5 miles in the mountains.
10. Have my real weight on driver's license.

1. Go into regular bricks 'n' mortar clothes shops.
2. Shop less online for big/huge clothes.
3. Fly interstate and overseas with no guilt, no discomfort, no seat-belt extension.
4. Enjoy all the movies at the cinema all the time ... free of worry of armrest squeeze.
5. Enjoy driving much more with significant cabin space NOT occupied by my mass.
6. Enjoy walking A to Z minus the breathlessness.
7. Climb stairs with vigour again.
8. Enjoy seeing myself with others in videos and photos.
9. Take my seven grandkids to places where I fit all/most the available furniture.
10. Enjoy my current high level of community work without the snide remarks nearby from detractors.

So this is great. I thought I was the only one with horseback riding. Decided to have surgery when I realized I was over limit.
1. Family portrait
2. Comfortably get on husbands motorcycle.
3. I have a goal dress. But it is a xxl so hopefully that will come fast.
4. Wear boots over leggings
5. sleep well
6. Run a 5 k
7. Buy something at the Black and White Store. Or at least get it from a thrift shop.
8. Hike Mt LeConte
9. Skinny jeans that aren't called the new skinny.
10. Walk in shorts without having to do that little twitch to keep shorts from riding up my legs.
11. Bathing suit that does not include a skirt.

i love this thread!
1.go skydiving
2. go to an amusement park and ride any ride I want
3. buy clothes, not from plus size stores
4. horseback riding
5. ride on a plane with no seat belt extender.
6. buy a bikini for the first time in my life ( and totally rock it)
7. complete a 5k
8. buy a pair of thigh high boots
9. Jump on a trampoline.
10. fall in love

1. Bungee jump
2. Water ski
3. Snow ski
4. Scuba dive
5. Sky dive
6. Ballroom dance lessons
7. Horseback riding
8. Rock climbing
9. Boudoir pictures
10. Cliff diving

Great thread
1) cycle cross bicycle race with my brothers family
2) scuba dive
3) go dancing more, maybe take swing lessons
4) "bump" into old friends and girlfriends and watch their reactions
5) lots of hikes, especially backpacking with my best friend
6) fly on a plane and not feel like the devil
7) sex, sex and more sex
8) travel a little more adventurously, trekking and stuff like that
9) play basketball again
10) look in the mirror and be proud of my accomplishments
11) go clothes shopping and finding what I want off the regular racks.

Love this I'm still early in my surgery this will be good to look back at.
1.Better self esteem- feel sexy on a dress.
2. Family portraits
3. Go to my kids school and not feel like an embarrassment
4. Go on trip with my hubby buy only 1 plan ticket
5. Walk/run in walk for the cure.
6. Teeth bleached.
7. New clothes- not plus size
8. Not being called sweetie pie, cutie pie, or something sweet cause I look jolly ????
9. Wear heels anytime I want
10. Love myself in my skin

Www.hoosierfatty.wordpress.com
Journals before, during after my sleeve. (Important nuggets of wisdom here like "peanut M&Ms are not a source of protein" and rants about surgery day wedgies. Lol!)

LOVE this thread! You go girls!
Pretty simple. A little list of goals I would like to achieve as part of my weight loss surgery. I think they are achievable. Most of them anyway.
1. Get off blood pressure medication – DONE on 2/18/2013
2. Develop BLOG to help others – DONE, helping since 3/8/13
3. Wear NORMAL size clothes, no plus sizes! – DONE on 4/12/13
4. Complete Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Program and post pictures – STARTED twice, yet to finish all 12 weeks! More to come...
5. Walking tour of Italy
6. Get a photo with Hugh Jackman (the actual person, not a cardboard cut-out)

1 family portrait
2 ride a horse
3 go on a cruise w/ hubby
4 get a sexy dress
5 go out dancing
6 run/ walk in 5 k breast cancer race
7 wear a bikini ... Just in my back yard lol
8 take a grip load of pictures of myself not hiding behind people or things
9 play softball again
10 sex sex sex lol

SURE. Typical daily menu:
Breakfast: I am Not a Breakfast person, but I know it's important to get that Protein in ASAP. So I start my day off with 8 oz of Fairlife chocolate Milk. Its got some sugar, but it also has 13g protein! not bad at all. Sometimes I supplement this with a small handful of mixed nuts to up my protein levels. Sometimes, if I'm going to work out or I'm feeling shaky, I have a piece of Peanut Butter toast instead.
Midmorning: Before lunch, I make sure to drink at least 16oz Water.
Lunch: I eat a LOT of cheese. Usually I make a little cheese plate with 2-3oz mixed hard cheeses (I'm all about this goat gouda atm), plus a tiny bit of honey, and a couple of crackers, with some strawberries or other fruit to go with it. I go through phases, though. Sometimes, instead, I make egg salad and eat egg salad with some crackers. Sometimes I toss some hard meats in here too, like salami, etc. It's all good, so long as it's high protein.
Afternoon: Before dinner, I make sure to drink at least another 16oz water.
Dinner: I do a lot of batch cooking. So Saturday or Sunday, I'll make something that I can work on for the whole week. My go-tos tend to be things like chicken Tortilla Soup (chock full of veggies etc), or curries (served without grain or with barley/faro instead of rice). Man, I haven't made curry in a few weeks. Note to self: make curry this weekend! Sometimes I also make something that night, if I go to the market. I'll cook lamb chops, or a piece or two of steak (I live with my bro, so I cook for him too) with some veggies for a side. Or a nice piece of fish; I really love salmon, but I only do it now and then.
After dinner: 16 oz more water!
Sweet: I like a sweet. I really, really like a sweet. So often in the evening, I have 1 piece of dove chocolate, or a protein-enriched low-calorie ice cream bar (like Enlightened Ice Cream!)
Before bed: 16oz more water!!
Eating out: I actually eat out....a lot. A couple times a week, I'd say. I tend to get an appetizer, or I get something high protein that I can reheat for a couple lunches/dinners the rest of the week.
______________________________
Honestly, eating isn't that weird? It's the same as I ate pre-op, after I started doing my high protein low carb diet. If you're trying to do something weird with your eating (I don't know what you're doing, so I can't say!) I can imagine it makes things harder. It doesn't have to be that different, imo. You don't need to substitute. You just need to use restraint.
However, exercise has become a huge part of my life, and I wonder if this isn't maybe the key. I work out for 30-60 min ~5 times a week. Over the summer, while my building's pool was open, I did laps 3 times a week. Now that it's closed, I'm building up toward running. I usually do weight resistance training the other 2 days a week...

You don't look sickly, Sweetie, you look like your body has been through a grand transformation and is still adjusting. In six months you are going to be SHOCKED at how perfectly you fit into your skin!!!
Don't start emotionally eating now, you'll have let others opinions have sabotaged you again.

You're off to a great start with that attitude! I like the non-food rewards idea. I shop at thrift stores for smaller clothes while I'm shrinking. I also look for fun ways to get fluids in. Flavored waters, iced coffees, cute Water bottles, etc. Anything that makes it more doable! :-)

1 I am making a pledge to myself that I will NOT allow myself to get discouraged over how long it seems to be taking to get a surgery , I am going to keep going!
2. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery and then not weigh myself until the same date the next month.
3. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery, and then I will not weigh myself until my first month anniversary, second anniversary, etc.
4. I am going to Celebrate every small victory with a non food related prize, such as a new shirt, new purse, etc (any reason to buy a purse is a good reason!)
5. I am going to do everything the docs tell me to do so that I have the BEST chance at success. I have had too many failures in my life and I'm ready for a win!
6. I am going to keep journaling my emotions, challenges and victories as an outlet.

FEEL FREE TO GIVE THIS ROOKIE ANY IDEA THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND I'M GOING TO HANG THEM ON MY FRIDGE, MY BATHROOM WALL, MY BEDROOM, ETC. I NEED YOUR GREAT IDEAS AND ENCOURAGEMENT ON THE BEST WAY TO SUCCEED IN THIS DIFFICULT JOURNEY!!

1 I am making a pledge to myself that I will NOT allow myself to get discouraged over how long it seems to be taking to get a surgery , I am going to keep going!
2. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery and then not weigh myself until the same date the next month.
3. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery, and then I will not weigh myself until my first month anniversary, second anniversary, etc.
4. I am going to Celebrate every small victory with a non food related prize, such as a new shirt, new purse, etc (any reason to buy a purse is a good reason!)
5. I am going to do everything the docs tell me to do so that I have the BEST chance at success. I have had too many failures in my life and I'm ready for a win!
6. I am going to keep journaling my emotions, challenges and victories as an outlet.

FEEL FREE TO GIVE THIS ROOKIE ANY IDEA THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND I'M GOING TO HANG THEM ON MY FRIDGE, MY BATHROOM WALL, MY BEDROOM, ETC. I NEED YOUR GREAT IDEAS AND ENCOURAGEMENT ON THE BEST WAY TO SUCCEED IN THIS DIFFICULT JOURNEY!!

1 I am making a pledge to myself that I will NOT allow myself to get discouraged over how long it seems to be taking to get a surgery , I am going to keep going!
2. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery and then not weigh myself until the same date the next month.
3. I am going to take a before picture and weight prior to my surgery, and then I will not weigh myself until my first month anniversary, second anniversary, etc.
4. I am going to Celebrate every small victory with a non food related prize, such as a new shirt, new purse, etc (any reason to buy a purse is a good reason!)
5. I am going to do everything the docs tell me to do so that I have the BEST chance at success. I have had too many failures in my life and I'm ready for a win!
6. I am going to keep journaling my emotions, challenges and victories as an outlet.

FEEL FREE TO GIVE THIS ROOKIE ANY IDEA THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND I'M GOING TO HANG THEM ON MY FRIDGE, MY BATHROOM WALL, MY BEDROOM, ETC. I NEED YOUR GREAT IDEAS AND ENCOURAGEMENT ON THE BEST WAY TO SUCCEED IN THIS DIFFICULT JOURNEY!!

Knowing your pain management plan post surgery will allow you to reduce complications and get out of the hospital soon. I have included some helpful tips from a hospital pharmacy insider... ME!


I often times get asked what is the biggest piece of advice I could give someone for surviving their hospital stay. For me the answer is a hands down no brainer. CONTROL YOUR PAIN MEDS! Nurses and hospital staff will be in and out to see you, but you need to realize that each nurse probably has four to six other patients all vying for attention. It is your responsibility to take your pain management into your own hands. You do not want to mess around when it comes to managing your pain! If you are in pain you will be unable to get up and walk. The longer you take to begin walking the greater your risk of complication and the longer your hospital stay. In this case DO NOT BE A TOUGH GUY! Wuss out and take the meds.




You will be constantly asked during you hospital stay what your pain level is. It will be on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain you have ever felt in your life. Be sure to answer honestly. DO NOT TRY TO BE MACHO! 3 to 5 on this scale is considered pain, but tolerable. If you drop below a 3 many doctors will begin reducing pain medication. Above 5 and they may begin increasing. The doctors and nurses want you in the blissful middle zone of 4 to 5. It should feel as though you have a bad muscle pull in your stomach, but no sharp or stabbing pain on a continual basis.

Your pain post-surgery will most likely be controlled in one of a two ways. The first is with a gloriously blissful device known as a PCA pump. This is a machine in which a syringe of Morphine or Fentanyl (depending on what your doctor and a hospital pharmacist deem to be appropriate) is placed to be administered to you at the push of a button. The best part is that you have control of the button! The machine can be set to allow you to administer the dose yourself every so many minutes; usually half an hour. The other way your pain will be managed is with an injection of morphine or fentanyl? This is pretty straight forward and don’t worry if you are scared of needles. This pain candy is injected into your IV.



Once you get past the injections or PCA pumps, usually once they take out your IV, you will most likely be weaned onto an oral pain medication of some kind. Many surgeons prefer Percocet for this application, but you may also be given an oral morphine. There is really no major difference between these in terms of effectiveness though there are other consideration that your doctor and a hospital pharmacist will use in consideration of which to give you.




It will be your job in the hospital to stay on top of when you get your pain medications. Here is what you need to know from an insider. I work as a pharmacy technician in a hospital so I am familiar with the workarounds. Here is the rule of thumb. The PCA pump will be available to you at your discretion and will most likely be hooked up before you wake up from surgery or shortly after, but injectables last about two hours and the oral liquid lasts about four. That is a very short window and you need to be sure to talk with your nurses and find out how long each medication is good for.

I made it a point to let my nurse know half an hour before each medication was due. This will allow them plenty of time to get your medication to you before time runs out. If the medication is not stocked on the floor then it will be delivered from the pharmacy and will take time. You want to give your nurse plenty of time to make this happen. Your nurse will not always remember when your pain meds are due so it will be your job to remind them. Remember, they have five other six people all needed medicines and all needing extra special attention so it is possible that you could be forgotten if you do not speak up. I am positive some nurses found me annoying, but other said they really appreciated the fact I was trying to stay so consistent with things and remind them. They key here is to be very nice and just let them know you are trying to stay on top of things since you know how the pharmacy works. Nurse’s love blaming the pharmacy for delays and they will love you for not blaming them. Far too many people do.

Running out of pain medication is a lot like falling off a cliff. You go down fast and it takes a while to climb back on top of it. So do yourself a favor and make sure you understand how long your pain medication will last and what types you are on. Make it a point with one of your final doctors’ visits prior to surgery to discuss what their plan for pain management will be and specifically which drugs he likes to use and why. With this in particular and your weight loss journey in general, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! The power to finally begin taking control of your life. That is what this amazing journey is all about. This will be a great way to practice in the hospital before you get home and the real work begins!

Does your New Year resolution include Weight Loss Surgery to help you achieve your goals this year? This is a great list of Weight Loss Surgery resources just for you!


With the New Year comes the New Year Resolutions. For many people, one of the largest resolutions is a change in lifestyle - that includes losing weight! I remember my resolution in 2012 was to lose weight and get healthy. And I was able to do that with the help of the vertical sleeve. 2015 is going to hold that for many people and thousands of people undergo weight loss surgery to help them achieve their healthy goals for the new year.
For those of you that are just thinking about surgery, I want to encourage you to know that you are not alone! You have a wealth of resources at your fingertips. I wanted to take a moment to share with you some amazing resources that you may find helpful on your journey!
Websites
BariatricPal.com Of course, BariatricPal is one of the very best websites to find information and support. Here there are “rooms” geared for each surgery as well as pages for recipes, articles, and much more. You will find information on everything you might want to know from before surgery to years after. I suggest checking out the Before/After pages for a good dose of motivation and inspiration!
7BitesShow.com 7 Bites is the first cooking series on YouTube geared specifically toward the bariatric community. The website has videos, recipes and blog posts.
weightlosssurgerychannel.com Weight Loss Surgery Channel has a collection of videos on everything WLS related weather it be health, food and recipes, and more.
BariatricFoodie The Bariatric Foodie has some great recipes for those that still love food, but want to stay on track
TheWorldAccordingToEggface Eggface is one of the most popular of the bariatric cooking blogs. You will find great recipes, blog posts and giveaways on her blog.
BariatricCookery.com This is a great resource page for everything from recipes to products.
Books
The “Big Book” series by Alex Breacher and Natalie Stein. There are four books in the series and all are great reads. They have a wealth of information on everything you need to know before, during and after surgery. The very best thing about these books is that they include personal stories from people that have been there.
Breaking The Chains: A Guide To Bariatric Surgery by Jennifer DeMoss and Suzette Munson. The ladies of 7Bites pull from their and others’ experiences with weight loss surgery to provide a simplified, but comprehensive guide. Information on everything from how to pick your surgery and doctor to how to survive the first two weeks after surgery are included.
The Sleeved Life by Pennie Nicola. This book tells about Pennie’s experience with the Vertical Sleeve procedure and discusses the ins and outs of the surgery from start to finish.
Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies. The everything you ever wanted to know and then some guide to all things weight loss surgery. Many, MANY doctors and nurses recommend this book to their patients.
Another great resource not listed here is your local bariatric support group! If you haven’t found one yet, contact your Surgery Center of Excellence or your nutritionist, they should be able to give you a good idea of one or two in your area. Or you can check out the list here on Bariatric Pal - it’s a very comprehensive list of support groups around the world!