I was looking thru my old Protein dietbook from 20 yrs ago and I had my weight in there. 154 pounds and I was trying to lose weight! And now 156 is my goal!! I was brought up thinking that I was fat! My sister called me TB for tremendous behind! I was 5'5", 125 lbs when I graduated from HS and not fat. But when people tell you that you are -- you tend to listen to them. I probably feel better about myself right now at 259lbs than I did then. Getting beyond 50 yrs old helps!

Just wanted to vent a little cuz in looking around my house at reading material, esp. magazines, they all have something in them that says "You are not ok the way you are". and that is pure bull.

Hi

Can relate to all that. I used to be slim as a teenager but never thought I was. Now my slim 17yr old can't fit into my wedding dress.

My goal now is to be a healthy weight, and I have set my goal accordingly. My surgeon agrees, says don't need to get skinny, just need to reduce my risks for diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc. He doesn't even specify a diet post-op after the fluid phase - just eat what I usually eat, but less. Will see dietician for advice. Hope it works, if it doesn't then I'll try diet.

36 hrs to go!!!

I've been "fat in the head" my entire life. I have not, however, always been fat; that came in adulthood. While I accept responsibility for my weight as an adult, I do believe that irresponsible adults in my childhood set the stage for this.

Being fat was such a part of my self-image that the weight gain I experienced with children (and after) was very difficult for me to actually see. When I did see it clearly, I was able to lose. Maintenance was a real issue, though.

So now I'm working not only on my weight, but also my head.