:thumbup: People roll their eyes at me when I tell them I'm going to have WLS. You can see it in their faces, "you're old." Yesterday I was with a group and shared my great news, that I had received my date. Out of 15 people, not one said "yay." It was seriously quiet, and as I looked around the table, there wasn't a hint of a smile anywhere. So, moving on, I left the subject hanging. After class one woman came and told me it was imperative I reconsider my decision for WLS. :scared0: I would have thought the long months of preparation, the obvious weight loss, and all the appointments would have demonstrated my commitment. I don't understand why this is so difficult for other seniors to accept. We have a choice in life, to sit and watch it go by, or to get fit and be part of the action. I'm not ready to sit. I dream of all the things I'll do after surgery, like bend over and tie my shoes, ride comfortably in an airplane, not be the biggest person in the room, not have every joint and muscle ache all day and night, play with my grandchildren and buy something in a store, right off the rack. Oooooh that will be wonderful. But the number one reason to do this: to be healthy. :thumbup1: I'm watching my health decline quickly carrying around over 100 pounds of weight I don't need. I struggle with fibromyalgia, all the 'itises', sleepless nights, no energy, high blood pressure, high chololesteral and am pre-diabetic as well. Those are the reasons to have WLS and a new opportunity to experience life again. It's about quality of life, and with VSG I have every opportunity to greatly improve my quality of life. :thumbup:

I've lost about 22 lbs. at this point, I think. I'm only 6 lbs away from the lowest I was with the band. If I can get under that weight I will have some real hope that I can make my goal.

Did you have to start exercising a lot to get off the plateau? Or did you just start losing again at some point eating pretty much the same thing with the same activity level?

I took a bite of my husband's multi-grain pancake this morning with syrup and I feel kind of yukee. I've found if I get up and move around when I feel like this, I do much better.

Have you allowed yourself to eat any kind of sugary foods yet? Or are you still on pretty much low-cal foods?

Hope you don't mind me asking these questions. If you do, just ignore them.

Thanks,

BJ

Oh pooh pooh on those that don't support you. YOU are the one that has to live with yourself. I applaud you, but that doesn't matter either. You know what you need, and you did it.

I found, that I have to be careful who I tell....I've gotten some surprises. Now, I try to listen to that little voice in my head as to who is 'safe to tell' and who will condemn me. Lord knows, I don't need anymore condemnation in my life...and neither do you

YOU GO GIRL !!!:scared0:

BJ I eat junk food all the time. Yes, I allowed treats! I really didn't do anything to break the stall. I tried to stay at 30 grams of carbs per day. There are times like parties or holidays that I eat anything I want.But I go back to my regular way of eating the next day.

I started exercising daily 6 years ago at the gym. For 3 solid years I went and exercised my brains out and lost 2 lbs every week and gained it back every weekend. Then I got the band and lost about 70 lbs.

I've been a carb watcher since the 70's. I went on the Atkins diet for the first time when I was 13 yrs. old!

I guess the difference with the sleeve was since I was not ever hungry and my portions were so small, eventually, I started losing again. I always drop about 5 lbs in

a week and then go on a stall for sometimes up to 6 weeks. Then I'll drop again.That's the way my entire weight loss went.

ODaisey, that's what I was hoping to hear. I still have huge fear that I won't be able to lose to my goal. I too have done the Adkins off and on for years. And you know that story. You're able to lose weight and then when you reintroduce carbs at some point you gain the weight back, and usually more. So with that track record, and the fact that I only lost 44 lbs. with the band, and then began to regain some of that, it just doesn't seem possible that this will really be the thing that I can make work for me.

But so far, I am very happy with the way things are going. So hearing your story gives me major hope that I will have a similar one.

Thanks!

You're welcome! I really don't see how it would be possible not to lose weight with the sleeve. Our portions are so small, that it makes a huge difference.

I think the only way people don't lose with the sleeve is if they don't eat a lot of Protein, and fill up mostly with carbs. Then there are the people who drink their calories with things like high calorie/carb Fruit drinks or those coffee drinks that can have tons of calories in them, or shovel a lot of candy down.

Guilty as charged! I have become hooked on Sonic's slushies - half real cranberry juice and half grape juice. It's been so hot here and I can drink half of a small at one sitting. Then I finish the other half later in the day. I have NEVER been a juice drinker of any kind. I don't even know what the calorie count is of one of them. And I shouldn't be drinking them if I don't know. Could be that I'm taking in 4 or 4 hundred calories in a dad gummed drink!

And I have been eating baked potatoes fairly routinely. All because I can eat more of that than some chicken. I actually tried eating a "bunless" cheeseburger over the weekend. Seemed like a reasonable idea at the time. It was like a small salad with crumbled hamburger on top. I could only eat part of it and it made me feel yukee. No more hamburger for this girl.

I did eat a couple of bites of filet last night. It was good but so filling! What do you eat to keep your Protein up? I know it will help my overall wellness, but I'm having a hard time getting enough. Carbs go down so much easier. But I know you're absolutely correct about losing better and faster if I cut out the carbs. Any hints are appreciated!

No problem!

I eat Greek yogurt. It's way higher in Protein and has less carbs than regular yogurt. Look at the label and choose the one that has the least amount of carbs. Often I will eat it plain and add stevia to it to sweeten it.

I can eat salad now, but you're probably not cleared for raw veggies yet. I make it with spinach leaves and I buy packages of already cooked chicken breast. I cut the chicken up very tiny and throw it on top of the salad. With lower fat ranch dressing, it goes down easily.

I also buy Virginia baked ham and roll it up with some sort of cheese and sometimes smear laughing cow light cheese or some other flavored cream cheese on it.

The key to eating meat is to cut it up very small and chewing it well.

I just had some left over steak. I cut it up small and I am a ketchup lover so I dip it in that and chew it very well.

Get some G2 (sfgatoraide) or poweraide zero. Put that in the freezer and stir it after awhile and make your own slushies. I also like sf cran raspberry diet snapple.

Early on post op, I made ground turkey with taco seasoning, mixed in some sour cream and topped with cheese and that went down very easily.

Older is not "dead". I had my sleeve on Tuesday and while looking better will be great, I want to be healthier. I want to be able to tote my expected first grandchild around be here for the 21st birthday party in 2031

oregondaisey, good tip for making my own slushies where I can control the caloric intake.

I have no trouble eating Protein - chicken, turkey, ham or steak. But I just can't eat much of any of them. We had dinner last night at an upscale restaurant and I didn't want to make a big issue of not being able to eat much. I got the tournadoes of beef which were 3 small pieces instead of one 7 oz. filet. I brought 2 of them home along with most of the baked potato. I had tastes of the amazing sour dough bread, the really great salad (a chopped salad with tiny diced apples and walnuts) and the appetizer, a boursin cheese on toast points. That made me very satisfied with the entire evening of gourmet food. Just tiny little tastes of almost everything and about 2 oz. of filet with bernaise sauce and I was full and happy. Later I even tasted some cheesecake and an amazing chocolate mousse. I admit that I was full, but I didn't make myself uncomfortable.

It is thrilling (no exaggeration) to be able to eat such tiny amounts and be fully satisfied! I remember when I was young and slim, I didn't eat much more than that and I was happy. Of course I was very active and that made a big metabolizing difference. So today I spent an hour doing exercises in the pool. I feel great!

I saw a friend that I hadn't seen in 6 months and she was shocked at how much weight I've lost. She says I look 10 years younger. Compliments like that are pretty danged exciting. I wonder what she's going to say when she sees me after I've lost another 20 lbs!

That's good to hear Bjean!

Travellady misc. pictures from family photos on webshots

This is the results of an old lady.

Obviously doing something wrong. Photo not showing.

If that's you, you look fabulous!

If you follow the link yes that is me. My hair is coming back.

When I brought the WLS up at work, a co-worker said "why bother, your life is almost over." I am 61.

Nice, huh? My kids are afraid for me to go to Mexico because of all the horror stories you hear. I have to self pay, so probably will go there, but haven't picked a surgeon yet. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonable surgeon here in the states or in Mexico?

pls reply to ladyrider@aol.com

thanks

Rosebud2 you look fab.

Jane x