I remember once when Oprah had lost a lot of weight...she heard that people were saying things like "Well, she's rich, it's easy to lose weight when someone cooks all of your food and does everything for you." She was talking about it on her show and basically said...she was the one who had to make healthful dietary choices every day and refuse her beloved Ruffles potato chips. Her wealth didn't do that for her. And she is the one who had to get her butt on the track and walk every day. She couldn't pay someone to do that for her.

I think it is so similar when people say that VSG is "the easy way out." We are the ones who have make sure that every morsel we put in our mouths is good fuel for our bodies and resist head hunger. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who make special holiday meals for our families and then don't partake in most of it. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who go to the gym even when the weather isn't good or we feel like going to bed early instead. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who keep drinking (and drinking and drinking) Water when part of us would rather hang out with our old friend Diet Coke or Frozen Margarita. The surgery doesn't do that for us.

And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, the surgery is a tool, but I still feel that we own and deserve every hard-earned victory we see on the scale and every NSV. If others don't understand that, it's okay. I know that I haven't taken the easy way out, but I also know that what I'm doing is an investment in something very important--me. And that's something that money definitely can't buy.

One more Rant and then I'm done. Have you ever noticed that the people who say this is the "Easy way out" are people who have never done it? Easy to judge from the sidelines. I wish Oprah would have done it. We would be getting a whole lot more respect or at least understanding. Note: A closed mind has no room to grow! My very best to all my fellow sleevers. You dared to take the risk to improve the quality of your lives and that takes great courage. Wether you achieve your weight loss goals or not, you have already overcome so much to get to this point. Don't allow anyone to drag you back down! You are AWESOME!!

I have a question. I got the sleeve on Monday and today I have blood in my urine. Anyone else have or had that? I go in at noon to see what it is.

Back to the subject of Oprah.. Oprah has private chefs personal trainers the best of it all. If that is all it takes, why does she still have a weight problem. Sure she loses weight - but how many times with all those benefits has she gained it back. Her YO-YO diet life is proof that diets don't always work. So is she lazy or fat by choice too?

I have a question. I got the sleeve on Monday and today I have blood in my urine. Anyone else have or had that? I go in at noon to see what it is.

Could be a urinary tract infection.

The people who sat this is the easy way have never been to the place we are at. I also used to say I would never let myself get to the point I was. The "easy" thing to do is say that we are all lazy with no self control, that a basic diet will fix us - after all if fixes people who only have 30 pounds to lose!

We have different body chemistry and different brain chemistry, if we didn't we would not be in our starting conditions. We eat like "normal" people yet we are at least 100 pounds overweight.

This is not the easy way out!!! It is scary and brutal. Recovery is difficult, but I have not for one second thought I made the wrong decision. I proud I myself and all of us for taking control of our lives. Nobody will diminish that by saying I could have dieted all on my own and that I wasted my money.

Great job to us success stories!!!

so do you all start joining in on family gatherings that include food again? we have a large family between us. he has 1 son and 1 grandson' date=' we don't see them hardly at all, they live in another state. i have 6 daughters and 10 grandchildren that live close by, so we see them often. once he had this surgery, even I see it more, how yes, gatherings typically involve food. I have been planning his 60th birthdaty surprise since we moved here 3 yrs ago. I never thought of a surgery. Now, it's supposed to be at the end of May around Memorial day. I've been torn. do I have it? not have it yet? he can eat, but not much, and we usually get a keg when we party. now what? not sure how to handle this.

oh, I have news for you. one thing this site is missing is a support group for the family members. not you guys, us. that would be helpful. whenever I ask him about things, he tends to snap. he's convinced he could have never lost weight without this. so if you say the wrong thing, he snaps because he's so sensitive about this. I found this site cuz he kept telling me I needed to educate myself on this. ok. here i am. at least when I ask you guys questions, you don't snap at me. my questions are legit.

thanx again all. Tia[/quote']

Hi

I say hang in there with him. I know I went through a period around 2-3 weeks of snapping and trying to adjust. I was also dehydrated and missing my Vitamin supplements during that

time. My Darling H was supportive of me. And I agree with you it does involve the family. But he too may have gone through Major Surgery to be a better Husband, Father, or grandfather who can physically keep up and enjoy y'all more.

Hang in there. There should be support groups

In your town.

After the 3rd week I was joining the family for dinner. Im Happier today and 33 lbs lighter. Yay Looking forward to going to my kids gamed and I'm not tired.

Good luck it gets better each day!

I do NOT understand how you can say I got surgery to save my life; isn't fear of early death enough of a deterrent to eating 3,4,5 slices of pizza? apparently not.

You are quite the ass - to put it as nicely as I possibly can. You assume that everyone who is overweight eats like a horse. You have such a horrible perception of obesity. People gain weight for a variety of reasons, some are involved in accidents that cause them not be active, some have other diseases that the medications given actually cause weight gain, and many contrary to your simple minded beliefs actually have ruined their metabolisms with yo- yo dieting. Obesity is a disease, not a choice and for many a death sentence if not corrected.

Do you honestly believe that people go through this hell just because they don't want to diet anymore? I honestly feel sorry for Rick he is probably raking leaves not to hear you run your mouth.

You want a Protein suggestion for him - mini meatballs. Just don't put sugar in them.

If you really want recipes - google them like everyone else does. Why do you expect a bunch of fat losers to help you when you clearly are to lazy to help yourself. Find somewhere else to bother people please - you are a plague upon this site. Sorry I am blunt and honest too!

Being supportive isn't just living with someone and dieting with them every once in a while. My husband ha beyond supportive and here are sine basic things he did for me:

1. what I eat he eats when we are around each other. I am 7 weeks out and he still does this. When he is at work or out on his own then he indulges. I keep saying it is not needed but he said if it helps me only 5% it is worth it. I am on regular foods now so it isn't a big deal since we eat baked fish at least once a day and don't eat junk food.

2. He walks with me after dinner a few times a week. I work out daily in the morning but those are great bonding times and we both get exercise.

There are so many other things like not buying any junk food or bring it in the house, planning outings were we get exercise in, etc.

The bottom line is maybe thinking of all his past failures is rubbing off in him. Maybe he is lazy and doesn't want to try to try too hard. But being there for a loved one who is dealing with this means NOT judging. On things in the past or even last night. Offer to help and help in any way you can without saying a word to him. If he doesn't take it or do the correct things then it is his fault he is not using the tool he has. That is on him and him alone.

The other thing is why are you on this site and not him? I get your trying to understand and all but honestly unless you have struggled with this demon like we have you can not ever totally understand. People can explain it to you till they are blue in the face but it can't make sense to you.

I have one more thing to toss out. I have 5 autoimmune disorders. Since they wreck my body from the inside and attacked my metabolism making it not functioning no diet in the world would work for me like this has. We all have different reasons for needing this surgery and implying it is because we "let ourselves go" is just ignorant. I'm glad you couldn't let yourself get beyond 30 pounds over the weight you wanted. Good for you but for some of us it was a medical issue or maybe simply we didn't notice how bad it was until it was 100 pounds over. Everyone is different and my heart goes out to each person for doing this for what ever reason. I think good for them for taking a chance to hopefully save their life. In proud if my fellow sleevers and proud of Rick for doing it. Are you? Does he know if you are? How are you showing it? These are things you might want to look it. That's my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.

I have a question. I got the sleeve on Monday and today I have blood in my urine. Anyone else have or had that? I go in at noon to see what it is.

If you just got your sleeve, it is most likely just some blood left in your digestive tract from the surgery but a good rule to follow is "when in doubt, check it out". Hugs to you and Congratulations!!

Ghrelin is also produced in the spleen. Real hunger is possible. It's not always head hunger. Please try to understand that and try to be compassionate because it sucks to have spent all that money and still feel hungry. I have lost 44 lbs in 3 months...the hard way.

I am soooo sorry!!!!! I meant to say that ghrelin is also produced by the pancreas!! It is also secreted by the hypothalamus.

No worries Tink. Where ever it comes from, it still wants to challenge us. We just have to put it back in its place! I'm just glad that most of mine went in the scrap bucket with my stomach! = D

food addiction. It really does exist. Maybe some can't understand it. However, I think it's harder to overcome than any other type of addiction, because you can't give up eating cold turkey - you HAVE to eat to live!

How easy would it be for a drug addict to overcome it if they still had to take some of the drugs every day?

So true Chris R. Alcoholics and drug addicts can avoid people who use those substances, but everyone EATS! Not to mention there is a fast food restaurant on every corner. Multiple food commercials on every channel, every hour. Such a difficult challenge. I am glad there is now scientific proof that certain foods are just as addictive as heroin!

I am 5 days post op, and thank you very much for the insight and encouraging words. You hit the nail on the head