Ima Fox

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I was wondering the same as you, Julie. I actually bought one because of people saying they carried a pillow to brace their incisions after the surgery. I haven't read anyone who has talked about using one. I hope someone who has used it will share their experience.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

I can't wait to wear cute fashions & look attractive in them. I can't wait to reunite with people from my past that I have cut off because I'm so embarrassed about being obese. I might even attend a family or high school reunion. I look forward to not worrying about if something I order in a restaurant will fill me up. I look forward to not worrying about if I can get in or out of a chair or if the airplane seat belt will buckle. I stopped flying because the last time I did the seat belt barely buckled. I look forward to my knees & feet not hurting and my ankles not swelling. I look forward to renewed attention from the many admirers I will have (big monkey smile). My surgery date is July 24th & I'm pretty scared, but I look forward to becoming normal again.
Thanks for asking.

Ugh! Your mom just doesn't understand, but I'm sure she thinks she's helping because she cares. Your rant has inspired me though. I have a friend who isn't necessarily against me having the surgery, but she thinks it's too much work. She was asking me questions about all the requirements (the sleep study, the monthly appointments, the psych evaluation, etc.) and she goes "wouldn't it just be easier to exercise and eat right?" I wanted to choke her! If it was that easy, I would have done it already! Some people just don't get it!!!

Good luck on your visit home!! I completely get that. I'm hoping middle September for my date. I'll find out Friday how long they think and if we can possibly set a date and keep fingers crossed with insurance or if I have to wait.

OKay I have a rant as I'm preparing for my upcoming surgery. I told my mom about the surgery well because I didn't think it was fair to going into surgery and not tell your parents. Maybe I was wrong. Ever since I told her about it she has been driving me crazy. I live in Florida, she in Illinois. She calls and the conversation always goes to the surgery. I have been on my weight management for a couple months and actually meet the last time Friday. She always says "are you still eating your six small meals? Are you losing weight? Why don't you just keep doing that? OMG I WANT TO SCREAM!!!!! So I was adopted and my mom, her sister, my cousins are all small. All have weighed 130 or less pounds their whole life. Small hands wear size 4 1/2 and 5 rings, etc. when I was in high school I weighed top weight 150. Now I'm 5'6" and I was in gymnastics and cheer. According to my mom 150 was too much and by the time I graduated senior year and having my mom make my food for me and that's all I could eat I weighed 123. I wish I was 150 and maybe just maybe I will return to that weight. I'm going to have this surgery....but why does she drive me so crazy about it? I can't lose weight on a diet. I have been on everyone out there and have spent millions on diets. Get over it Mom. Okay rant over.......

You haven't missed your window. Your sleeve is just a tool, and does not have an "on/off" switch. It does get tougher to lose weight at 1 year, simply because your body gets adjusted to the lower calorie intake, you sleeve is healed and it can hold more food, and you're carrying less weight (so you're not burning as many calories when you exercise).
I'm at 18 months post-op, the weight loss has slowed considerably because I'm eating more and I'm not carrying an extra 160lbs. But I'm still inching my way down.

It gets harder after about 7-8 months for many of us... however.... it took me 14 months to get to goal and my losses were really good in the months 11-14. Somewhere around months 8-10 post op my losses slowed way down because i had introduced too many high carb Protein bars etc. When I changed things up, I went back to steady losses.
I was stable at goal for about 6 months before i decided to lose a few more vanity pounds. I have lost about 18# between Feb 2013 (when I hit goal) and this spring. So, my personal belief is that if you keep "working it" and following the rules you can keep losing. Good luck!
If I wanted to lose 10# more right now - I am sure I could do it. I am content where I am at, I am just saying that the sleeve doesn't stop working, I think we just stop working the sleeve...

so im just trying to get some insight my relationship is struggling pretty bad i am 4 months post op im down alot of weight and so much with myself has changed and continues to change and now we are fighting alot more over nothing and it just gets worse and worse. I dont need his help as much as before and i know that bothers him but how has others relationship changed since this surgery? good or bad just need some insight please...

MFP rocks!
It helped me lose 10 pounds in the two months before I started the pre-op diet. I also learned I was eating FAR too little Protein. Geez. Who knew.
And now, of course, on the pre-op diet it's telling me I'm starving to death.
Seriously -- I love it.

I love my fitness pal!!!! I have a fitbit pedometer and can sync it to the my fitness pal app and record my activity for the day too!! It's definitely eye opening, and really helps keep you on track!

So, I am 6 weeks post- op and thinking I was handling my eating fairly well -
How wrong I was. today I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app and entered my food for the day - OMG - I was severely underestimating my calories and Protein intake . No wonder I am not feeling energetic, am losing weight slowly and am always tired.
I recommend this app to all sleevers so that you get an accurate picture of what you are putting into your body and can adjust your diet accordingly.
It even calculates the percentages for carbs, protein, sugars etc as well as a
Calorie counts.

Does the gym have a "family" work out room? I have the same issues you do. Sever social anxiety, mainly weight related. My husband and I joined a gym which also has a family work out room. It's got the older equipment in it so barely anyone goes in there. It helps alot

You and I are the same height (5'3), and I started out almost the same weight as you. ( 225 lbs). I joined our local YMCA just before I was banded, and started 3 mornings a week , , in a fast moving swim fitness class, at 6 am . In a size 18 bathing suit. If I can do it , so can you ! It helped me lose 65 lbs , fast but healthy ! We had , and still do , ALL shapes, sizes and weights. We have one lady who has lost 100 lbs, she still shows up, probably weighs 300 still. Who cares ? Not us ! Quit worrying about what "other people " think and worrying !

I read one article that said one of the best indicator of whether someone will keep off lost weight is the people he or she hangs out with. Make some friends while you are there!

One thing that helped me was a few sessions with a personal trainer...that way I was focused on her not the people around me. It also gave me a chance to learn gym etiquette as well as learn the types of exercises/weights I ought to be doing...which gave me confidence to go back by myself.

oh hellfree i am feeling ya. if you feel a bit uncomfortable there, go to a few different gyms just to see how you feel. in my large city, we have a lot to choose from. I just remember going into a gym, wanting to put a bag over my head, overweight, and kinda crawling home. i felt best about planet fitness (10/month) as even their ads are geared toward normal folk that don't grunt as they lift weights or something. there's also curves. i also loved the idea of swimming to get in shape, so there's that. and if you have no other possibilities, take the advice of these other ladies and just DO IT. i DO want to start weight lifting, so I will be joining you at some future date.
in support,
triss

Like RJ said, almost everyone is focused on themselves and their workout. The cardio machines at the Y have TVs in them, so people are watching those as they do their cardio... If they aren't watching the TV, they are listening to music... Lifting weights, people are focused on their form...
Personally, I felt the exact same way as you. I thought everyone would stare at the fat girl and wonder why i was even bothering... I couldn't join a gym until I had lost over 100lbs. Boy do I regret that! Once I started going I realized no one cares about anyone else (unless your on a weight machine they want). When I look around, no one else is looking around. Everyone focuses on themselves... When I see a bigger person, I'm actually jealous that they have the confidence and I didn't. Just think of how much further (or less loose skin!!) I might have if I'd started earlier...
All that said, you go and work out! You deserve to be there as much as anyone else. Have that confidence I didn't. Rock the gym!!!

That is a problem you will have even when you reach your goal. you will not see yourself for who you really are for sometime. That is the nature of the beast!
Surprisingly though the people at the gym are not looking at you. Most of them are busy trying to get in shape or stay in shape. Most people are not looking around. And if they do, most of them applaud you for coming.
35 lbs down nothing to sneeze at I would say..Hold your chin up. Get your bag together and get there and work it girl! You deserve to be healthy. just like anyone of those people at that gym. Who knows you might inspire others as they see you working out because you are doing this and making changes for yourself no one else!!!!
35 lbs of butter on the kitchen table is a remarkable accomplishment......Go, do it and think about the fact that you are 35 lbs smaller then you were when you started this journey! Kick ass!