I can't eat more than 1/2 cup or so at a sitting. Bread gets stuck, Pasta and rice come back, ice cream makes me dump. I want to nibble all day because I can't seem to get in more than 1000 HEALTHY calories a day and wine gives me horrific heartburn. I am either constipated or have poop Soup - usually the first leads to the second -- and I still can't have even a small glass of Water with a meal or I will horf it all back up. Regular water sits like a lead brick in my stomach still (after 2.5 years!!) and I still sit on the potty before I pass gas just in case.

That said...

I wear a size 6/8.
I can shop in ANY store.
My teenaged daughters now borrow my clothes and I borrow theirs. (Wait -- is that good or bad?)
I can fit in any seat AND cross my legs.
People don't look at me like I am Satan on fire when I sit next to them on the bus, the theater, the airplane.
I can put junk food in my grocery cart and not feel judged.
I can (and do!) walk 6-10 miles a day without pain the next morning.
I can keep up in Zumba class and still do another workout after.
I can dance all night without feeling it the next day.

I hike, bike, kayak, and play outside with my kids comfortably.
I no longer sweat like a horse the second I walk outside.

I am healthy. No longer pre-diabetic, no longer morbidly obese, no longer ruining my knees, hips, feet and back with excessive weight.


If this was the "easy way out", so be it. It damn sure was the SMART way out.

EDIT TO ADD:

It seems that some of you are taking my "litany of complaints" as real hardships and I want to correct that. None of the things I listed above are the end of the world nor are they even more than little blips on my radar.

When my ass hurts, I get up. When I'm cold, I grab a blanket. I choose not to eat bread, rice, pasta or ice cream and as much as I loved them before, they make me feel so urpy, I no longer WANT them. The poop soup/constipation, along with the juicy toots kind of sucks, but I think some Probiotics would correct that issue. I don't drink when I eat, nor do I drink for an hour after and it's not killing me. I don't need regular water, and while I miss it from time to time, a squeeze of flavor drops or a splash of fruit juice works for me. My inability to drink wine sucks the most, but it's a small trade off in the grand scheme of things.

@@LipstickLady

This thread appearing in my inbox in the morning makes my day. Not only is it true, but I have stolen your line of "Never trust a fart" and laugh every single time I say it.

Thanks for the great post and all the laughs!

I'm glad I searched probiotics and found this thread! Thanks for the laughs, love it! I am pre op gastric bypass, I will be sure to remember to "never trust a fart"! lol