Okay, I feel like mentioning something. We are so good at being politically correct, us sleevers. Maybe it is because we spend so much time defending our decision to people who don't understand, so we get good at downplaying how much being not-fat would change our lives for the better.

I'm always seeing people write, "I know being thin won't mean life is perfect" or, "I know just being thin won't bring happiness". Well I am coming out of the closet - Being average or thin is GOING TO BRING ME A LOT OF HAPPINESS!!!! :confused1: And being average or thin IS going to solve a LOT of my problems!! I just posted to a thread about your top 10 reasons to get VSG. I read everyone's reasons and then posted my own and that's what got me to thinking - gee, without all these problems, life IS a lot better. We say "if only I was thin", FOR A REASON. Because being not-fat will vastly improve our lives. There, I said it. I get that there are issues for all of us that don't go away just because we fit in with society but at least we will be focusing on those, and not those PLUS our weight. Please don't flame me.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: now I LOVE clothes shopping. I used to absolutely hate it. With a vengeance. Jeez, now it's suddenly fun. I no longer buy the first thing that fits but I've become insanely picky. And that's partly because of economic issues (I did go a little crazy in the summer when suddenly I had no T-shirts that fit so now I have about 25 T-shirts that do fit... Good if the washing machine breaks down, possibly...) but also because now that most things fit, I can afford to be picky.

There's nothing wrong with feeling confidence in ourselves and feeling good about being thin. It's a wonderful feeling, yet it was never enough to keep me there the little time I was there. It was fun shopping for clothes and knowing I could fit any outfit the store had available. It's also nice to look in the mirror and like what I see and feel attractive. If that makes me vain and annoying oh well! Don't really care.

There are so many reason to do this and to continue on until goal and yes health for me was my main focus and motivator. The side affects however are wonderful and it makes life a little brighter. Makes me wanna get up in the morning and work at it even more. Makes me want to get on that treadmill and work my endurance back up since surgery.

I'm looking forward to getting my life back, and being happy, confident and even more respected by those around me because they see the confidence - nothing wrong with that!!!

Rock on sisters and brothers, hold your head up and don't let anyone take your joy!!

Tiffykins - I don't care HOW shallow it sounds I don't care how shallow it is....being thin is fun! Wearing a size 8 is fun. I slipped into a size SIX GAP jeans the other day....vanity sized I'm sure, but never-the-less!!! It IS nice not being the biggest girl in the room. I was the SMALLEST one the other day and it feels damn good! Shopping is fun, riding in a car is comfortable, running up the stairs and not being winded is amazing!!! Life is good.....I didn't have health issues, I hope this was prevenitive maintenence, but for me mostly.....I'm a Texas girl, it was 95% vanity, all the other stuff is like icing on the cake, so to speak!

I don't think anyone that has made it to goal, or close to it would flame you. I know that my core personality has not changed since losing weight, but I sure as hell don't feel the same as I did pre-op.

Hell, life is pretty fabulous as a skinny bitch. I love it, and won't lie that most of the issues I dealt with being fat are GONE ! ! !

For the love of everything holy, I rode a mechanical bull! ! ! I couldn't have lugged my huge, mammoth body up there to save my life pre-op. I can roll around on the floor and wrestle with my husband, and dogs. The best part is that I don't have to waddle my way up back to my feet. I can walk around the mall for hours, and never have to stop to take a break, or let my knees rest.

Sure, I have my little quirks about my body, but at least I have zero issue fitting into normal people clothes, and I'm not scarfing down enough food for 3 people when I'm out with friends.

Not being the fattest girl in the room is an amazing feeling, and more importantly, not feeling like everyone is judging me because of my weight is the best feeling in the world.

I'll shout it from the rooftops that being skinny has made my life so much better in so many ways. Maybe some of it is shallow, maybe it's not what people want to hear or accept, but I challenge anyone that flames you or me or anyone else that agrees to really think back to their pre-op weight and admit that they were perfectly content being fat, and the only reason they had surgery was to be "healthy". I had surgery for many reasons, healthy (mental and physical), I want a baby, I wanted to feel like a normal person, and not have food control me. AND, a huge reason is because I was ready to wear clothes that didn't look like they were made by a tent maker! ! !