Hey guys....

I am new to this. I don't have a surgery date yet, but hope soon!!

I wanted to know what are some of your favorite things that are different/changed after surgery!

What can you do now that you couldn't before?

How are people treating you?..........etc

Hi-

Good luck on your upcoming surgery!

Interesting things I noticed that make me very happy:

- I pack my lunch every day. I spend about 3 minutes in the morning throwing tiny servings of food into snack size ziploc bags. It has saved me a lot of money and shows me how much healthier I eat now. I would never have packed a lunch before - food was an event for me!!!

- I can walk to the store a mile or so away... AND BACK! I used to try and walk to the store, but I was always realy pooped when I got back home. Now I can go on the walk and really enjoy it. When I return home, I don't feel like it was the biggest workout of my life. I have to add that I don't really work out at all - the difference in how I feel is primarily due to the fact that I am not carrying the extra weight.

- I look fantastic!!! I get tons of comments about how good I look. Someone said I looked 10 years younger. I still have to work with my problem areas (my stomach is a mess), but that was the case before I got fat many years ago. My body didn't become "perfect", but now my curves are really defined with a small waist and I can go to regular stores and look for clothes that are truly flattering.

- People treat me the same, but I treat myself differently. There isn't a constant inner monologue about how fat and disgusting I am. I feel really good about myself and I think that shows through. I was never they type to be ignored, even at my heaviest. I have been told that I really exude confidence all the time (even when I was heavy) - I was always confident in my abilities, even if I wasn't confident in my appearance. Now my confidence includes my appearance. It leaves room in my head to worry about real problems. That negative body image thing took up a lot of energy :-(

Good luck!

My absolute favorite thing is that I can take 2 bites of something/anything an be totally satisfied with it. Totally pisses my mom off! We go out to lunch and I just take a few bites of her meal.

People call me skinny, and I just keep walking like they aren't talking to me. Saw my friends husband the other day and he gave me a hello hug and nearly passed out, said where the hell did the rest of you go!

Shopped in Victoria's secret for the first time in my life and my husband didn't care that I spent $150 on bras and panties. Can shop at the Gap again, hadn't since Jr High.

OH had MOM pick me up a pair of size 4 pants today when she went to Khol's to return the cheapo bras I pick up there. she was really pissed about that too!!!

the thing that I HATE most is that I am always FREEZING!!! On vacation it was 100 degrees and I was wearing capris and a t-shirt and was just comfortable!

Good Luck! You will LOVE your sleeve!!!

the thing that I HATE most is that I am always FREEZING!!! On vacation it was 100 degrees and I was wearing capris and a t-shirt and was just comfortable!

Sing it, sister. Went to Mexico in June and it was high 90's and I was finally "just right" for the first time in months. I wouldn't let my family put the air conditioning on in the room and they were very cranky.

Told the hubs we might have to consider relocating to a warmer climate!

Energy and exercise are the things topping my list these days! My husband said tonight that I've replaced the endorphin rush I used to get from food with exercise. He's actually a little worried that I am going to develop "transfer addiction" to working out!!

If you would have told me 6 weeks ago that I would be walking/running 3 miles a day at this point post-op, I would have laughed my a#$ off!! It's the part of my day I have started to look forward to the most, believe it or not.

I love people telling me how great I look, too. I have only lost 26 lbs but I'm already getting compliments!