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Mission Slimpossible
 

Sex drive

For some reason, especially when I was struggling with my band, I seemed to have lost my overall sex drive. I didn't crave it. I didn't look for it. I just didn't want it. Needless to say, this didn't sit well with my husband. He felt rejected when it really was "me & not him!"   I even went to the Dr thinking that maybe I was starting to go through "the change." I'll be 49 in June, and have some friends that have started going through the change, so it was a possibility I guess. Long story short, my hormone levels were fine & my Dr thought that maybe I was just in a rut. We joked about having another partner (and no, not another female either). Husband chuckled.   Anyway, my point is that now that the band is out, and I'm feeling better overall, my sexual appetite is back. I feel normal again. I think about sex from time to time, and I actually want it again. Needless to say, my husband is happy
Domika03

Domika03

0
The Lardy Duchess
 

On the downlow

So I've decided after 'testing' my news about a lap band, that I won't be sharing the information with everyone.   I'm lucky in that I have great girlfriends who are usually open minded about most things. Apparently though that stops at weight loss surgery. I mentioned that I was considering lap bad surgery and what an uproar that caused. No, no, just eat right and exercise (like I haven't tried that a bazillion times. Oh why would you do any such surgery like that - have another cookie. Do you know what the failure rate is?   BLAH BLAH BLAH   I try to be an independent gal. I like to do research, I like to investigate and I really like to decide for myself no matter who says what. And I did a lot of research and I question a lot. I've read posts here on this site and on other sites too. Sometimes people 'failed' for reasons beyond their control. But often it seems that people don't do well because they don't want to work. This will be work! But I welcome that type of work and remain positive that if I comply and follow the rules, the band will work for me.   I've decided to not share my upcoming surgery plans for now. I don't want negative energy, I don't want those that love 'hovering' and watching every move, or calling constantly to try to 'help' me. I want to remain in the sunny side focusing on my health and what is right for me in my circumstances.   In the world we need more support and those that see what isn't right for them may just be the right thing for others.  
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

4
After the Knife - Jill's WLS Journey
 

Pain and Recovery - 4 Weeks Post-Op

Tomorrow I will be 4 weeks post-op. What a ride it has been so far.   My surgery was not until late in the day and did not get back to my room until very late (well, it was dark outside so to my fresh from anesthesia mind it felt late). They could not get my pain under control in recovery. I remember waking up and for a second not knowing where I was and it felt like someone had ripped my left arm off! The pain in my left shoulder and my abdomen were very intense. They ended up "knocking me out" and my husband said they called him and told him that they were working on my pain level and I would be a while. When I got to my room, it was much of the same. I was up in my chair as soon as I got out of recovery. I didn't even let them put me in my bed because I read that getting up helped the pain and I assumed the pain that would be helped was what was in my left arm (not sure if it helped or not, but the staff was impressed that I kept getting up and moving). The poor nurse was in my room all night. They had to keep changing my IV pain meds and giving me boluses to amp up what I was already getting. At one point, my body hurt and I was so tired that I told my husband and the nurse that I would not get out of bed again; I would just pee right in the bed. I didn't care anymore. It hurt too bad to get up and it was not worth it. Then my IV came out. How did I discover this? Well, I hit the button for my pain meds and it set my arm on fire!! It took the hospital and hour to get someone up there to change it.   At some point the next day, I started to feel better (not good by a long shot). They had finally got me on the right doses of meds, but it was till excruciating to move using my core. Things were going OK and then they gave me a roommate! This poor girl. I don't know if I hated her or felt sorry for her. The hacking and spiting all day every few minutes. I could not get any rest and it was making me want to gag. Then my friend came to visit with her son so that my husband could go eat and get out of the room for a bit (he was so good to me as always, did not leave my side unless I was asleep). Lucky me that she is a music therapist! She could tell I was in pain and tired; she pulled out an iPod and headphones....she was prepared! It played beautiful piano music and it calmed me; I really slept for the first time since going in for surgery. Her, her son, and my husband sat and quietly chatted while I rested and they made sure I was comfortable. Again, I am lucky to have people in my life that love me.....especially after witnessing what happened next. The next morning came and the girl that was hacking ALL DAY AND NIGHT woke me up by yelling and crying to someone on the other end of the phone. This is where the feeling sorry for her comes in. She was talking to this person about not having anywhere to go. Her mom would not let you come home, her grandma would not let her come home, and they were going to call CPS on her and have her baby taken from her.....why? Well, because she would not have a second surgery!!!!! It sounded like the surgeon was the one that did not want that. She was in there and getting potassium (it was very very low) and then would be sent home. The MD said her body would not deal well with surgery at this point and she needed to get the potassium and go home and work on her tied first. The family was saying that she was not taking care of herself. So, she had no home and her baby was going to be taken away. (Have I said how lucky I am to have people that love me???) Social Workers, Case Managers, Nurses, and MDs were in and out with her all day; if they were not in the room, she was on the phone. I kept the headphones on as much as possible. I had to walk by her bed to go to the bathroom (I was sick of the BSC) and it felt so awkward. Maybe because I didn't know what to do to help her. I just wanted to go home at that point. Thank God they released me that evening with lots of high powered drugs and incase anyone was wondering, my roommates aunt came to get her. I don't know the story with the baby though, but the SW did say that her family could not take him/her.   Things were not too horrible if I stayed on top of my pain meds (2 types alternating every 2 hours and Tylenol every 4). I had very little nausea, but it was hard to get anything down more then a couple sips. I wanted to sleep, but the bed was uncomfortable. I could not find a good positions. Lying on my side was impossible and flat on my back hurt and pulled at the incisions. My husband propped me up on pillows and that was a little better. There were no rails like at the hospital to help pull me up and it took everything I had to do it. It hurt like hell and I tried to do it as little as possible. When I got up, I tried to stay up for a while.   As days passed, I was feeling better, but something still felt off. I was still having intense pain when I tried to move. By Monday (one week post-op) the biggest of my 6 incisions hurt badly and was red, hot, and raised. I tried to ignore it; I didn't want to seem like I was a baby and over reacting to nothing. I called the surgeon's office, but the nurse was off that day and she would have to call me tomorrow (even though I said the word infection....seems like that warrants a call from the staff that is covering for that nurse). My husband took me to the store because I really wanted out of the house for a bit. By the time we got back, the redness had spread by 1 inch al the way around the incision (about 1.5" around total). This was in just 4 hours (we took pictures of all of this....just in case)! I texted pictures to a nurse I work with and she replied "go to MD or ED NOW". My husband grabbed my purse and his keys and we were out the door. We went to the urgent care and the MD said "yep, that's infected". Starting double dose of Bactrim and some other antibiotic. He said he wanted to cover everything. By the next evening, it burst. It was so gross so I will spare you the gory details. I called the on call surgical staff and they said to go back to the urgent care or to the ED. Back to the urgent care we went. They cleaned it up a bit, took a culture, and bandaged me. The changed one of the antibiotics to a stronger one, Levaquin. I was on this stuff for almost 2 weeks! During that time I got Thrush and has to take Swish and Swallow (if you have never had this, count yourself lucky. It is a yeast infection in your mouth and it is miserable). The Thursday the surgeon's office insisted that I come in for them to look at it (more then likely because the nurse did call back on Tuesday morning and my husband gave them an ear full about ignoring an infection of a surgical incision....they were very apologetic). The cut open the incision and my husband (poor guy) had to learn how to pack and care for my wound. One of my nurse friends met us at home that night to bring supplies and walk my husband through the wound treatment again.   After 3 weeks, it is finally starting to close up! It feels much better now and I can sleep on my side and use my core to move. The Thrush is cleared up and I am off the antibiotics. I had to stop a lot of my meds and all of my vitamins during this time due to interactions and I can start taking it all again. I still have a lot to work on... getting enough fluids and protein, getting my exercise, etc. Everything is getting easier (I use that word loosely); I am on the mend and one day hope to look back on this and say "it was all worth it".   (When I put all of this down on paper, I see how very blessed I am to have the people I have in my life!)
JillC878

JillC878

1
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lose Weight

I can tell you from 13 months of experience post-op that you do not have to eat perfectly to lose weight. I believe too many people are under the assumption that they can't have this or a bite of that ever again. I can't live with that kind of thinking. It only makes me obsess about what I can't have.   Do you think you have to be perfect in your diet and exercise goals? Try this experiment: Being rigid is similar to holding your breath, keep holding it, don't blow it out yet, hold it, okay, now blow it out. You probably blew it out with a lot of force because you held it for longer than you felt comfortable.   Rigid dieting and exercise are like a tightly wound spring that eventually has to release. It's very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle with an understanding that there will be days when you will stray from healthy eating and exercising. You will not be perfect in your diet and exercise program, nor should you be.   Before you begin a diet and exercise program, tell yourself that no matter what happens, rather than abandoning your new lifestyle, you'll resume your healthy habits as soon as you can. You do not have to wait until the following Monday, the first day of the next month or next year. Don't want until the next day; start again with your next meal. You always have an opportunity for a fresh start to get right back on track with your healthy habits continuing to move to your weight loss goals.   It is equally important that you feel confident, not guilty, about doing so. Whatever the temptation or obstacle is, keep in mind that it's not wrong or bad to eat fattening foods once in a while or to miss a workout. Just remember to resume your healthy lifestyle as soon as possible afterward. If you keep moving forward and you don't let guilt and discouragement stop your program all together, you'll eventually have improved eating and exercise habits - with great results and success in your weight loss and health goals.   With this approach, there is no such thing as "cheating." When we feel we are cheating, we often punish ourselves; we will feel guilt, frustration and as though we've failed. We also get into the perfectionist thinking. We can't have this or that ever again and if we stray, then we've blown it. Replacing the negative concept of cheating with the idea of "straying temporarily from healthy habits" takes away the all-or-nothing emphasis of right and wrong. If you treat every deviation from your plan as a failure, you won't get very far. Substituting the idea of a brief straying away from your plan instead of feeling guilty, and learning to return more and more quickly to healthier habits, is more realistic. It's also easier and more enjoyable - today and in the long-run.   If you don't allow any opportunity to vary your eating and exercise and go into all or nothing thinking, you don't practice moderation and balance. Healthy habits of diet and fitness are most success when you don't think of them as success or failure. It is progress and not perfection. Practice healthy habits more times than you don't. Think in terms of the 80/20 guidelines. 80% of the time, you eat according to your healthy nutritional program and are active; 20% of the time, you relax your guidelines. This allows for balance and living your life in a healthy, easier mode of moderation.     Cathy Wilson is a certified life coach specializing in weight loss. Cathy lost 147 pounds seven years ago. Her passion is to help clients achieve weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with clients to create a weight loss life plan custom to each client. Cathy is a member of the International Coaching Federation, International Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition. Visit Cathy's website: LoseWeightFindLife.com
joatsaint

joatsaint

2
Mission Slimpossible
 

1 month post-op check up

I had my 1 month post-op check up this morning. I had several questions for my surgeon about my daily food & protein, and here's what I found out: Thankfully, I seem to be healing well
Talked about BM's & that I seem to have to add stool softners, and MoM to help me go. Not worried as long as I'm going.
Focus on fluids, which continues to be my major weakness
OK to have Chai-tea again, yeah!!! I so missed this. It has caffeine in it so I had to stay away. I'm not a coffee drinker so Chai is just fine for me
Work my way up to 60 grams of protein per day
Work my way up to 800 calories per day, no rush
Continue to eat 1/4 - 1/2 cup per meal. Whatever my tummy tells me I can handle. Continue to focus on protein first, but OK to add steamed veggies & fruits
Eat only when I'm hungry. It can be 5 small meals or 3 basic meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) per day
I can start eating breakfast type foods. For example, lean turkey crumbles with eggs or oatmeal w/ fruits
She suggested I can add new foods but to wait a few days so if something upsets me I'll know what it is
OK to start working out, slowly but surely. As we all know, walking is the best exercise but I can start going on my recumbent bike again. OK to add low weights, several reps. Oh, working out in a pool in also good (thought I don't have access to one).
I can start taking my vitamins again (Multi vitamin, B complex, Biotin). No worries about adding calcium at this point. But she did order e 50,000 iu's of vitamin D once a week for 12 weeks. I had low Vit D count which I was taking vitamins for. She said this would help get it back up sooner & so mch easier to have it once a week. After that, I can have lower doses to my daily intake
3 month blood work follow up & appointment made
Since I had lost a descent amount of weight with the band & a little more with the sleeve, my food goal will pretty much be focused on maintenance more than anything. Wow, maintenance. That sounds great! She said I might lose another 5-10 pounds but doesn't think my body will go for more. I'm good with that
IMPORTANT > soreness that I sometimes get on my left side that travels a little to the same area but in my lower back is due to scar tissue hitting on nerve endings. Dr said that area felt a little tougher. She said a body massage focused in that area a few times a day for a weeks and/or heat would help (hot bath, hot tub).
Overall, a thumbs up, and I'm quite thankful for that!!
Domika03

Domika03

0
Johnny99's Blog
 

A Big Dog and a Sixth Grade Boy

Hello world. I'm back again with another update. I hope this post's title didn't confuse you. I promise it will make perfect sense by the end of this enthralling read. So you're just gonna have to wait a bit. And of course, read today's entire rant. First... Next week will be one year since I wrote my first blog entry. Today's column will be my 54th attempt at keeping you updated on my weight loss journey. That's about once a week. I hope it's enough for you. I know it is for me! In the past year, we have had over 18,000 people view the different pages of my moronic musings. It still amazes me that so many people, from all parts of the globe, want to spend a small part of their day keeping up on my fat fight. Obviously, the majority of my readers come from the U.S. But the top five other foreign readers are from, in order, Latvia, France, Russia and Canada. Yup! My second most loyal followers are from Latvia. The Latvians just can't seem to get enough. Maybe I have the "kevorka" like Kramer on Seinfeld. However, I will not be bathing in garlic to break the spell. Now the big news of week. I had my monthly check up with Dr. X and staff at the Center for Fat-ass-i-ness last week. The news was once again, very good! I lost another 5.5 pounds since late December. That means I have officially eclipsed the 70 pound loss mark! Yippee! Think about that. Seventy pounds. That's a whole lotta ass and blubber. I'll bet you didn't know that the following menagerie of items weighs about 70 pounds: -187 bananas. A full years supply for a large silverback gorilla. - An average sheet of drywall. That's about 8 foot tall and 5 feet wide. Yup, the size of my old ass. - $34,019 U.S. dollar bills. Stuff 100 bills in each of your pockets. Now times that by 17 in each. Whew. - 100 cans of beer. That's 8-1/2 cases of tin and liquid. Think about drinking a twelever in a night out. - A bag of concrete. -12-1/2 red bricks. Use the concrete and you could build a small wall. - 300 apples, 7 large bags of flour and 300 sticks of butter EACH weigh 70 pounds. Sounds like pie ingredients for a small village. - 5 high performance bicycles. I got nothing here. I haven't ridden a pedal bike since 1975. - 37,500 plain M&Ms. This is disturbing. These chocolaty delights were a go-to for the former me. I betcha I fired down a couple thousand at least once during a food bender. - 5 extra large hams. Who here hasn't eaten a whole ham? C'mon don't lie. - Some reports have the semi-famous Nicole Ritchie checking in at 70 pounds these days. Of course, I'd be remiss if we didn't check back with the family. If you recall, at 50 pounds our average boy was 7 years old and had a medium sized terrier. At 70 pounds, our boy is now 11 and the family canine is now an average Alaskan Husky. My ass is shrinking but the family continues to grow. It's been almost 11 months since I started this quest. It has taken a lot of focus and so far the rewards are uplifting. Seventy pounds is a LOT of weight. Hard to believe I have pooped out the equivalent of a 6th grader or a sled dog. Not to mention a minor celebrity. . Catch up soon! JT Fat Fanatics! Email your comments and questions to: mccgolfer99@gmail.com I will answer all you're questions and, who knows, you're pithy comments might make the blog! Reprinted from my blog: Thedeconstructionofjohnny.blogspot.com Come visit!
Johnny99

Johnny99

0
Edward Hoss Lap-Band Journey Blog
 

Shift_Postopp

WLS yesterday! Wow I felt like crap yesterday. Today is much better though and I'm glad I took another day off from work. I had really good run up to surgery with pre-op weight loss of 16 pounds. So far I'm just sipping clear liquids and all is good. I'm sure things change once the swelling subsides. Can't wait to get back to my workout routine.
edwardhoss

edwardhoss

0
LadyDiva618's Blog
 

I love my daycare kids

Happy Wednesday How is everyone? I know I haven’t been on here much lately but I’ve been really busy at both jobs. My new work hours have been a real adjustment for me. It has been challenging but I think I have getting the hang of it. I will say this planning my meals has really helped because it eliminates the temptation of me eating fast food and eating junk food at the day care. The Day Care is my trigger because I am surrounded by cakes, cookies, and chips. A few weeks ago I noticed me eating item more often. This is not good because I am still a t plateau. So one week I started bringing salad and Greek yogurt to the day care. So I started sharing my meals Fun Boy (my nephew). So he now loves Greek yogurt. Last week Snowmagendon hit the Mid-west again so I had left a salad at the day care since my sister 2 kids at the day care I told her go ahead and get them my salad. The kids loved the idea and they started bragging to the other day care kids about my famous salad. After taking to the parents and my sister we decided to have salad 2 days an week for snack. Each time the kids will add something new to the salad or we will buy a fruit or veggie they never had before. So far this has been a success! My only complaint is they kids a drowning their salads with ranch dressing! Will be wrong if I replace the Hidden valley ranch with a healthier version of a ranch dressing? I am just happy my day care kids are enjoying salads now even though they are going thru to bottles are ranch dressing! This is why I love them. I wonder what I can get hooked on now??? Even though I am still at a plateau I love my band! God is good Thanks for reading.
LadyDiva618

LadyDiva618

3
BobbieKatie's Blog
 

One Step Closer..

Wooo, finally my GP has sent of my referral letter so now hopefully we can get started on meeting the surgeon and then I'll know more. It's quite frustrating that for just under a year, all I've been waiting for is my DR to send off one sentence and they lied .. but still, I just want to look forward. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, done that way too many times. Going to set myself goals to keep motivated..   1. Do the 7 minute workout each day. 2. Try get an appointment asap, don't wanna be forgotten about again. 3. Log into this site more, it's really useful and great people!   That's it for now, wish me luck.     ♥
BobbieVSG

BobbieVSG

2
Mission Slimpossible
 

WTH is wrong with me?

I'm not sure what's going on with me the last few days... I've taste 'tested' a few items that were not part of my food phase. IDK why, but it's not like they were smart choices. I tried chocolate chip cookies a few times, little bites of some of the dinner I made the family like mild italian sausage yesterday (made the family lasagna (didn't have that), chicken & dumplings today, and I even had a crab cake.   Why the hell am I doing this? I don't understand. My stomach has been fine, until now. It feels a little crampy, like I have to go. Of course, in my true constipated form, I can't go. I only go a few times a week, maybe once or twice. And no, it has nothing to do with this because this just started a few days ago. I've always had issues, but moreso now since being sleeved. I feel like my old bad habits are coming back. I'm testing the water or something. Food addiction coming back after almost 1 1/2 years. I don't understand.   I'll be 4 weeks post-op this Thursday, and my 1 month follow up is Friday. I can only hope that I'm not hurting my stomach / recovery.   Has anyone else dealt with this at all? What the hell is going on?   Feeling frustrated & upset with myself......
Domika03

Domika03

1
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

I'm here

Hello everyone. I have been reading everything but just haven't written much. I am busy with my family. My 95 year old mother's mind is getting worse. Last week she didn't recall my name. That sucks. My mentally challenged brother, he is 6 years older than me, is a handful. Tomorrow we are looking into adult day care for him. I hope it works.   Today my oldest son is 39. Can't believe I have a child that old. I baby sat his son, Max the other night. Max is 14 months and priceless. Laughs, yells and loves to eat fruit.   I belong to a gym and Friday was my first time there since November. I went yesterday and today and I feel much better about me. It was like starting over again. I went slow and didn't push myself but loved it. Do you know what you call people like me that pay and don't go to the gym?, profit! My husband won't get off his fat ass and go with me.   A high school friend posted this, funny and dumb: I want to die like my grandfather, in my sleep, no pain not yelling and screaming like the people in his car. I have a weird sense of humor.   Before the band my tops were either a 2 or 3 xl plus size woman's. Yesterday I bought a new sweat shirt, size misses large! Yeah! me! Now to just get rid of the muffin top which is my largest part of the body.   Everyone have a great week. Thursday, Boston is either getting lots of snow or rain. They don't know yet. Arlene
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

1
Johnny99's Blog
 

Fighting Fat While Flying

Whew! I just got back from my third road trip in the past few weeks. I know I haven't been keeping you in the loop. I've been busy! I told you I was going to be gallivanting around the country. So I hope you'll forgive my tardiness. I have certainly felt the wrath of some of our more ardent followers. Believe it or not, there are few fatty fans out there who just can't live without this blathering blog. One or two are even a bit stalk-ish.   (Note to FeelingFatInFinland: Yes, I got your e-mail. No, I won't send you a photo of my bare ass with all the stretch marks connected in red marker. I can't reach that far. Besides, if you really need to see something like that, a detailed road map of Cincinnati would probably do the trick.)   (Note 2 to BiggunInBoston: The answers to your questions in order are: Yes, No, Three at a time, On my head, NEVER!, Boomerang, Oink oink baby and jelly.)   That takes care of this weeks fan mail. I will share more in the future.   OK, now to the news. As previously stated I have been on three roads trips in the last 3 weeks. Staying on my self prescribed 1200 calorie a day plan was difficult. Logging my food choices was not an option. Eating the right foods all the time was a struggle. Staying away from alcohol was impossible. The bad news is I gained about a pound and a half. But I think I 'll be able to dump that by Friday after a week of detoxing.   I'm not upset. I'm right where I expected to be. I mean really. I spent a few nights in the foodie paradise of New Orleans and then 5 nights partying at a golf tourney in Palm Beach. Honestly, I feel pretty much unscathed. I really did watch my food intake. I ate every meal out. So I tried to eat the right fruits and fishes where possible. I watched my portions. Other than a small binge on plain M&Ms that were mistakenly sent to my room, I avoided all sweets. Pretty much a home run.   Unfortunately, Johnny likes his booze. All flavors as a matter of fact. We all know that booze is a secret diet killer. The more you drink, the thinner you think. The thinner you think, the more you eat. It's a vicious circle. Clearly, Mr. Booze (or AL C. Hall as we know him) are the enemies of restraint. And I succumbed repeatedly to their liquor-i-ous offerings. Martinis, Cabernet's and Merlot. Greyhounds, Screwdrivers, Bloody Mari's and a frosty margarita. As a salute to the Olympics, I even sprinkled a few White Russians in for good measure. A regular cornucopia of adult beverages.   Hell, I get it! It's back on the ol' wagon for me today. I'm tracking my food, I'm off the sauce and I might even try to get in a workout or two. I'm leaving for the Valley of the Sun in 3 weeks and 4 days. I'm planning on being under 180 when I get on that plane. SO let's do this. Phase 2 of the Deconstruction of Johnny has begun! I have about 28 more pounds to lose by May 2015 according to Dr. X. I might as well start now.   BTW... I saw Dr. X before I left for Florida. I'll update you on that next time.   Soooo long for now.   Johnny   FAT FANS! Send your questions and comments to:   mccgolfer99@gmail.com   I will answer any questions and read all comments. Who knows, you might even make the blog!
Johnny99

Johnny99

0
Leepers' Blog
 

The Mind is a Muscle Too

Well, not technically.   But we forget that we have to work our minds in this process just as much as we work our body.   If you are constantly thinking or saying negative things, then that is the energy you are putting out into the world and it is what you're gonna get back.   A long time ago, I was sick of going to bed every night feeling anxious and laying there, having a thousand things a minute running through my mind. I decided, I want a quiet mind.   When I couldn't go to sleep, I would stop myself and try to think of an image. You could pick anything, but for some reason, I always chose an apple. Sometimes green, sometimes red. I would picture the apple in my head. I would look at all of the details. The stem, was it long or short? Did it have that little rough edge on top? I would look at the body of the apple. Was there a shiny part? Were there little brown spots on the skin? How about the bottom of the apple? Did it have 3 or 4 little bump feet like red apples have or was it smooth? What about the little brown spot on the bottom. Was it rough?   By doing this I was changing the focus of my mind. I was slowing it down. Sometimes, I would picture that apple for about 15 seconds before my mind was already back to racing thoughts. But after a bit, I would catch myself, and go back to the apple. Each time, doing my best to push all the other crazy thoughts aside. The more I did it, the easier it got to quiet my mind. Really, it's sort of a form of meditation.   The same goes even during our waking hours. If we succumb to the negative thoughts, they will consume you. We have to learn to push them away. To ignore them until they disappear.   I thought about this today at the gym. I spend a good part of my time there comparing myself to others, being self-conscious that I'm the fattest person there. Why do I have to have people running on both sides of me, when all I can do is walk? Do they purposely get on the treadmill next to me, so that they look better? All very negative thinking. And I keep reigning myself in. Stop it, Leigh! Stop thinking these negative thoughts. What does it matter? I don't even know these people. I don't care about them or what they think and I'm not gonna let these thoughts hinder my progress. I've found that as time goes on, it's easier for me to get rid of these and just focus on what I'm doing. The less you give into the negativity, the easier it is to get on with your life.   So don't forget to work that muscle that is your mind. It really may be the most important part of this weight loss journey. We have to learn to control our mind. Bring the subconscious forward into consciousness and be truthful to ourselves, no matter how painful.
Leepers

Leepers

0
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

5 Minute Review - Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer Review

This is a quick review of the Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer. I've had it for a few months and if you're looking for basic, accurate pedometer with no frills, this one works well. But it does have a few drawbacks.   Update 12-19-2013: I've had a chance to compare the accuracy of my Omron to a GPS device. It was very accurate, considering that my stride changes in length depending on how energetic I feel. Over the last month, I have done 3 mile hikes several times a week, the Omron was only 2 tenths of a mile less than the GPS on average.   If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-)   Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
shaynem's Blog
 

The new man in the mirror..........

Well after 7 weeks and an already monumental transformation of both weight and body shape as well as the nagging from my wife over the past two weeks in regards to how silly I look in my old "Fat" clothes I submitted and went shopping for my first new wardrobe (I say first as I think there'll likely be another new one before this is all finished!!). I was sleeved on the 19th Dec '13 and well there's been as many difficult moments as happy ones, it's a huge transition to make and bad habits die hard. My overriding decision to have this surgery though still holds true now because it was those choices that put me where I was, but not only the choices but the amount that I poured down my throat.................Now whether I want to or not my body simply will not tolerate it and to go against it means I actually lose a meal and those very important nutrients I need because too much now spells a trip to the toilet and a vomiting session. It's now been 2 weeks since my last session like that and i'm now both confident and comfortable in what I can eat, I've learnt to listen to my body where before I reacted through my eyes. I began as slave to the scales as all of us overweight people do jumping on every other day looking for that high generated from declining numbers, but then had two episodes where the number actually went up yet I knew within myself I was slimmer. It's now been 2 weeks since I last stepped onto the scales and I don't care what the numbers might say I know I've lost further weight and my biggest confirmation came over the weekend shopping for some new work and casual clothes................. At the commencement of my journey middle November '13 my clothing sizes were as follows:   Pants - 112-117 (44-46) waist Shirt - 4xl (50 neck) Pullovers - (3xl - 5xl depending on label)   As I said I knew and felt that I had dropped weight but us "Fat" people still look in the mirror and only see that Fat person we've known for so many years and don't register the new person emerging. So therefore I kept on wearing the big clothes, over sized t-shirts etc and would close my belt an extra loop each week or so. My wife kept telling me I needed to get some new clothes as i looked ridiculous in my old stuff. So finally I relented as I said above and cleaned out my old stuff of which I had to agree did now feel and look silly (some stuff was tight 3 mths ago and now are huge on me!!!). It's been over 15yrs since I was able to walk into a department store and shop from the rack, years...... My wife made it clear that we would not be just selecting the size I believed I was, we would be trying everything on and purchasing what fits firmly now to cope with the additional losses still to come...................My "Fat" mind was saying sure, sure this is gonna be a shameful and fruitless exercise, but I humored her and said ok. And here are my results.....................   Pants - (Jeans, dress pants & shorts) 92cm waist Shirt - XL, dress shirt 43 Pullover - XL-XXL   About 3/4 through this expedition I stopped and remarked to my wife that I was struggling to believe what was happening and was actually a little emotional, of course in the back of my mind I fantasized about being that slim person but you all know the drill after trying and failing for so many years it felt just that, a fantasy. But to actually now see the changes and feel the changes and see the sizes on the labels of the clothes was simply crazy I just couldn't comprehend it...............I can now though and I am so grateful I decided to take this step and am thrilled at the man emerging from that great shadow cast by the guy that occupied my body before........................
shaynem

shaynem

4
I'm With The Band!
 

Test 1

This is a test to check if this posts correctly, as I wrote an incredibly long 1st ever in my life blog that did not post!! Arghhh! I was so dismayed, I haven't yet attempted again, so this is merely a test post to make sure I'm doing it right...if so, I will try again!
LenRen25

LenRen25

1
The Lardy Duchess
 

Just wondering

My surgery date is March 12th. So grateful to have the date and in many ways I wish it was sooner and yet I'm glad for preparation time.   I know people that have had bariatric surgery of one sort or another and I seen their - well - their lack of success. Both have gained back all of their weight. One person is working to restore her health, the other isn't.   In this past year I've examined obesity. What keeps people obese? Why is losing weight so hard? Why is keeping it off harder? I'm closer to some of those answers but not totally clear on all of it yet - if I ever will be.   A part of my decision making on have a lap-band put in is that I want to better understand the psychological reasons for why I do what I do? And I decided that for me, the connection I must make is with a therapist, a doctor, and as I progress with both of those - surgery.   Interestingly enough - the people that I do know that have eaten around their surgery had limited support. Both people had their surgery away from their homes and struggled to find outside support. I know I have to take full advantage of the support I have at home and with my team.   Do you think support groups and some sort of team support has helped you?
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

3
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

Quick FAQs - What Is A Slider Food

Weight Loss Surgery Frequently Asked Questions "What is a slider food?" For everyone that has had weight loss surgery, there is a slider food. Basically a slider food is anything that you can eat a lot of without feeling full and the feeling of fullness does not last.   For me, my slider foods include; nuts of any kind, popcorn, peanut butter and fruit. I have to keep careful watch over how much I'm eating of a slider food, I can easily blow the calorie count limit I've set for the day.   If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-)   Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
MrsVanderbilt's Blog
 

Initial Consultation

i just went for my initial consultation at Dr. Lavin's office this week (2 1/2 hour drive!) I met with the nurse practitioner and we went over all the basics to get me approved. I have to jump through so many hoops. i also have to do a sleep study to see if i have sleep apnea. other than that my appt was pretty uneventful. they said i will have 1 night stay in the hospital and then i can go home. i will prob be out of work for a good 3 weeks. the hardest part of the appointment was looking around at the people in the waiting room and realizing where i was.... i was a fat chick in a weight loss surgery office. it was a coming to jesus moment. how did i let myself get this far? i'm tired of my life being about my weight! DH said his coworker told him the other day that i looked like i lost weight. although it was a great compliment, i don't want my weight to be what people see when they look at me.
MrsVanderbilt

MrsVanderbilt

3
bsellis' Blog
 

6 months post-op update

Well it has been three months since my last blog (6 months from surgery) and I'm happy to say I've lost another 30 lbs for a total of 90 lbs lost!! Current weight- 274. Whoo-hoo!! I think this is the first time ever that I've lost weight during the holidays. I've been averaging a loss of 10 lbs a month. Very happy with that. I've been getting very small fills. In fact I've only got 3 cc's in my 10 cc band. I still don't have alot of restriction but I count my calories, exercise and follow the rules. We've had a very cold winter so instead of doing my walking outside I've been doing low impact cardio workouts. My two favorite being Shapely Girl and the Biggest Loser Power Walk. I'm looking forward to warm weather and today I signed up for the Blue and You fitness challenge. This is something I did last year and it's basically just making a commitment to exercise 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes. Now what I'm really excited about is that I signed up for my first 5K!! It is May 3rd and I have the option to walk but I would love to run as much as possible. I know I can easily walk 3 miles but I haven't even attempted to run. I have wanted to try running but I don't want anyone seeing me. I know this is something I need to get over but when I go to the walking trails the only people I see running are already really fit and skinny. Ugh!! Well time to get over it because starting this week (wait it's snowing) ok next week I'm going to start training for this 5K.   So besides all that my band seems to being doing well. I have had some pain in my left shoulder for about 3 months now. At first I thought I had injured it but then I realized that the way the pain would come and go, hurt when I would bend over for any length of time (cleaning) and when first laying down in bed that it seemed to be a nerve issue. I did some research and found that it is not uncommon for bandsters to have this pain. It is caused by a nerve- phrenic nerve- that runs through the diaphragm. It hurts everyday but luckily not ALL day so I can handle that. Other than that I haven't had any problems really. There is nothing I have found that I can't eat (but alot I choose not to!!)   Oh yeah, I had a pretty sweet NSV this morning. I was chatting with a co-worker this morning and looked down and realized that I had my legs crossed. Wow! It's been a long time since I could do that.
bsellis

bsellis

3
LilMissDiva 2.0
 

My thoughts on: The Biggest Loser Finale

In the last few Seasons of Biggest Loser I've watched it less and less. Once I seen Dolvett and his demeanor with those he's training I started to get more interested again but never as much as I did in the first few seasons. This status isn't about Rachel and how thin she looked. I admit I only barely watched the finale yesterday and yes IMO she took it too far. That said, she is extremely competitive and she won. Is it okay? Probably not but that is something only she herself can work to correct. It's really UNFAIR to judge her because I know how it can be to take anything too far. I have an addictive personality and I empathize with her. Who would I be but a hypocrite to demean her. All I can do is pray she remedies herself. All that said it is also VERY UNFAIR to lay blame on her trainer. I highly doubt Dolvett would approve if he knew she took it that far. And especially shame on NBC and the comments left by Bob and Jillian on this issue. Personally Jillian constantly cracking her whip on those she's trained in the past makes me think she is full of hypocrisy! I can not support her anymore, as I had in the past. When she returned after leaving the show for the enth time she came back softer but I'm unsure it was from the heart. That's her cross to bear though. I will never again watch BL. I hope Dolvett does leave the show but as he does to take his personality elsewhere. To train people in a positive, respectful and healthy manner. From what I see of him, that is really what he is all about. Losing weight should never be competitive! ! I fight against this all the time. Anyone who is obese already lives their life with feelings of low self worth and inadequacy. So then we display a bunch of severely overweight people and put them in front of a TV screen, put them in a bunch of ridiculous scenarios and expect to be entertained by it? No. No more. This show is a clown song and dance... and shame on ME for partaking in it for as long as I did. In my own defense though I watched it more for the inspirational factor, but I see now that is not what it's really about. And I will not continue to be a part of the problem.
LilMissDiva Irene

LilMissDiva Irene

2
The Lardy Duchess
 

An Introduction

Hello there, I'm your Lardy Duchess and I'm wanting to write about my weight loss journey.   I was a skinny child, really skinny, and was sometimes called "boney". I haven't been called that in many years and really, I'm not aiming for that ever again. In my late teens I began to gain weight.   Somewhere in the 1980's I lost all that excess weight, and promptly put it all back on. I think at the time I just thought that simply because I lost it once, I was good for a lifetime. Since then I've been on every diet known to mankind. I don't want to name them all here, but I can't think of one well known or notoriously horrid 'diet' I haven't been on. I've tried deprivation, excessive exercise and now, now that I'm in my mid 50's, I'm announcing right here, right now, I'm done with all of that. It's destructive and harsh and horrible.   For those that say - well now come on Duchess - you can do it. Just control yourself and exercise, I say yep, that is great, everyone should do that. I can do that - until I can't do that. Until I can't stop myself. This is like an addiction - on the wagon - off the wagon. Dieting/not dieting. It never ever ends. I come from a family with addiction and abuse issues. That's not an excuse - it's merely a reality. And I feel addicted to food. Unhealthy food in unlimited portions, in scary sizes. It dominates me, dominates my thoughts, controls me. If you've ever been there, you get it. If you've never been there, I suspect you won't understand.   Then again this blog isn't for you either probably. Many things have contributed to this weight loss blog and I'll be writing about some of those issues, but I also value my privacy and may elect to not be public about everything. It feels like if I write it all down, and tell those that can relate on some level, that somehow, someway I'll mend myself - a selfish endeavor maybe, but it's my truth.
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

3
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

How To Explain Weight Loss Surgery Scars

My 1st Vlog entry "How To Explain Weight Loss Surgery Scars" or "Girl! You Ain't Gonna Believe This!" Many people have asked this question, it must come up a least once a week. In this video, I have some creative ways to explain away your weight loss surgery scars. Like the famous man said, "If you can't dazzle'em with brilliance, baffle'em with B.S!" I think my favorite weight loss surgery scar explanation is, "knifed by an exotic dancer, they're nasty that way!"   If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-)   Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve   My Favorite Youtubers: VSGKirk - https://www.youtube.com/user/vsgkirk/videos 7Bites cooking show - https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenBitesShow/videos
joatsaint

joatsaint

0

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