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The Most Evil of all Man’s Inventions - When we were getting larger, the scale was an evil evil device. It was originally designed by man to assist in the development of early commerce, but over time it took on a new and insidious venture. It became the device that quantified what we already knew - we were getting bigger. It was not a secret. We knew it. We knew we were not eating right and could tell we were getting bigger. But as long as those elastic waists and comfort fit pants hung in there, we could kid ourselves into believing that it was not that much weight gained. It was all so vague and easy to ignore. But the evil scale ruined all that. That "couple of pounds" we had gained since last summer was actually 14.7 pounds!!! And what total chucklehead decided we needed a decimal point on a bathroom scale? What an idiot. I am not a pharmacist carefully measuring out a deadly drug. I am just a fat guy on a bathroom scale. The size of the number is bad enough, the decimal is just sort of an insult. "I weigh 277." Scale: "No, actually you weigh 277.6!" GRRRRRRRR, Stupid scale! I will tell you where you can put that .6 pounds…. BUT NOW…. I have come to reconsider my position -- and being down 50+ pounds has everything to do with it. That decimal point is an amazing and important invention. When I lose .6 pounds, you can bet I want to know all about it!! Don’t be depriving me of my 9.600 ounces of hard earned weight loss! I did not just go to the bathroom, dry my hair, clean out my ears, burp, get naked and take off my glasses to get some vague estimate!!! I have concluded that the scale is, in fact, not inherently evil. I have come to this based on recent events. Since I have had my surgery I have noticed something amazing that I had never noticed before. It may have been there all along, but I just did not know it. Maybe you knew….but until just recently, I did not know that ….. (wait for it) ….. The scale can actually go DOWN!!!! 　 Here are three great scale jokes!!! 　 A lady noticed her husband standing on the bathroom scale, sucking in his stomach. Thinking he was trying to weigh less with this maneuver, she commented, "I don't think that's going to help." "Sure it will." he said. "Now I can see the numbers." ______ 　 Two youngsters were closely examining bathroom scales on display at the department store. "What’s it for?" one asked. "I don’t know," the other replied. "I think you stand on it, and it makes you mad…at least it does that for my Dad." 　 　 ______ Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was really angry with him. She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 250 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE !!" The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. It was not big enough to be the sports car she demanded, so she put on her robe, ran out to the driveway and brought the box back in the house. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale. Bob has been missing since Friday. ARE WE LAUGHING YET!!!!!!!

Hi, Everybody, My name is Michele. I am a 43 year old Nurse, living in Athens Ga, and I am waiting with baited breath for my soon to be Surgery on 9/11/12. Just a little info on me and my journey. I have been fat all of my life and like many, if not all of you, been on every diet known to man. I have struggled with my weight all my life and now, like everyone on this forum, have found a way or a tool to let go of the struggle and live a healthy and vibrant life. I have dreamed of the day when I could bend and move my body with freedom and flexibility. And now I can actual see myself thin. I am so excited. I am also very grateful to find a web site to share my experiences and meet others who have or will soon go through the process. I am going to Northeast Ga Medical Center for the Surgery, Dr. Peter Henderson to preform the surgery. I'm looking for friends who share this process, please do not hesitate to send me a message. Much Love to You All..Michele

So for a quick catch up on things from previous forum entries, I have my first post about me, my return home, the drain removal, and a quick update. This is all the stuff I posted about at the time and didn't remember until I read them again. Comments made on those post from today are in purple. From Sept 16, 2010: Starting to Freak Out My name is Desiree and I set my surgery date for October 4th yesterday. I've been on a journey of working to lose weight for a couple of years now. It all began a few years ago when I destroyed the cartridge in my knee and had to have surgery that put me on crutches for 6 weeks and I couldn't put any kind of weight on my leg. I decided to seriously work to lose weight then and was at my heaviest which was 342. I recovered from surgery and starting working with a personal trainer and following a strict diet. I lost several inches in 3 months, but not enough to count on the scale. While working with my trainer I once again tore up the same knee, only a different injury. This time it the cartilage on my femur and had a hole 1-2 inches in diameter torn into it. This equaled another surgery and this time 8 weeks on crutches with no weight allowed. I had considered the bypass and band off and on for several years but was always uncomfortable with rerouting nature's plumbing and having something plastic that required upkeep in my body. That all changed after learning about my stupid knee injury. While waiting for my 2nd knee surgery I went to a seminar for surgery. I found out all the requirements for my insurance company and started working on them. I found success with a non surgical doctor in the same office and put off the surgery part. Due to recovery time I had a stall in my dr visits and had to start over three months later. I had gained back most of my weight while recovering but over the next several months of starting back up I had dropped 30 lbs. I was happy and all was going well until the pain in my knee came back and I couldn't work out. I was told I have stress fractures in my knee caused by my weight and the thinner cartridge in my knee. The doctor said I need to lose weight more quickly so he recommended surgery. I consulted with my weight loss doctor and next thing I know I'm waiting on insurance approval. It was fairly easy because I'd already had the dietician visits and the psych evaluation. My surgery date is less than three weeks away and on Monday I start a two week diet of no fat, low fat, no meat. I'm starting to freak out and trying to find answers to all of these questions that are suddenly popping in my head and I do not like what I have found online so far. Then I found this site. I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with everyone and putting to rest some of my fears. I was scared for nothing! From October 6, 2010: Just Got Home Just got home today from my surgery. I was sleeved on Monday and other than the 4 hour delay it went great. I went in so hungry and still have yet to get hungry. The gas pains have not been bad but the soreness is bad. How long should I expect to be sore? Did anyone else pull their pain ball thing out at home? Did it hurt? And one last question, did anyone else have problems eating cold stuff like the popsicles? FYI Cold stuff doesn't bother me as much now but something warm makes me check to see if I spilled it on myself every single time. My original Drain Removal post was like everyone else's, me asking if it was going to hurt because I was freaked out by it. From October 14, 2010: Reply to my original post after having the drain removed. It didn't hurt at all. It felt like a suction cup being removed by my stomach and a little weird feeling when it made its way out but no pain!! Other than that the visit was fast and easy and he was pleased with how I am doing. Thank you again for all the help From February 22, 2011: Long Overdue Update This is long over due, but I think it's about time. I'm now almost 5 months post op and I've lost 62 lbs. I think I've hit my first plateau but I think that's because of the working out. I've been doing great and still amazing myself with foods I now like. I'm down 5 sizes which is such a great feeling, I can wear my prom dresses from high school again. I am struggling with hair loss, and I always get in my protein and take my vitamins, but I was told it's expected. My husband and I are planning our first vacation ever and after 6 years I think it's time. Little nervous about wearing a swim suit on the beach and flying on a plane, I've avoided that from fear of not fitting in the seat. I'll get some pictures and measurements posted soon. This was my last update and I never posted my measurements lol.

212 pounds.Started the exercise thing a while ago and the weight just stalled.It almost made me stop again.However the jellyfish thing doesnt do it for me any longer so now I exercise...lol Whenever I drink a multivitamin I am thinking of food all day and extremely peckish!I hate that feeling so now I have gotten kiddie chewies and eat 2 in the morining,2 in the afternoon and 2 much later.That way the appetite is not affected so badly! This is not so easy.I am starting to understand more and more that certain factors will make us want more food.And I am not talking about head hunger.This feeling when I drink the vitamins are physical not doubt about that. The question is how to deal with that.I believe that snacking on carrot sticks and cucumber (blegh!) and frozen mixed veg (yummie,it is green giant mix of green peas,green beans,carrots and sweet corn...low in cals great taste when frozen!) will be ok eventually. Doing plastics,according to my dr,will reduce the amount of fat cells I have and will also help with the rate at which I will pick up weight in the future.He atill maintains if I did the plastics 7 years ago after losing 120 pounds,I would not have regained so much weight again. I cannot wait to be under 200.I stopped right at 200 (ok,was 198 for about 15 seconds) when I had the band, My friend is exercizing with a personal trainer.He said he would give us a "family package" and come to our house to train my daughter,my friend and me.I am thinking that kind of spoils the fun...should be at the gym! Will start trying kick boxing or body combat again in a while.Most important is to start pilates reformer again.Best toning one can ever,ever do! Ok, enjoy your food everyone!

Hi Lila, I hope your ready....lol. Ur gunna be my crash test dummy ( so to speak ) I rang WLSA and have started the process. Going through my super bizzo now. Keep me posted Scotty

So this all started about a year or so ago, its been about 5-6 years since my last serious attempt to lose weight has happened, in that time I regained all that I lost and then some. I have psoriatic arthritis, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia which haven't helped all this just made it harder to lose the weight. Three days of walking every morning leaves me so tired that i sleep on and off all day the fourth day. this frustrates me. so after back and forth (in my head), i finally work up the courage to talk to my husband who agrees. to come to a seminar with Dr K. super nervous and of course almost back out. lo and behold. it's amazing, and while aprehensive, i make my first appointment with Dr K and get the scoop, so i opt for the 3 month track and the month of May whirls by and i try not to talk myself into eating everything in my path and justify it by stating (again in my head) in three months I'lL never again be able to eat that, and manage to lose 1 lb. so June rolls around 2nd visit which in insurance land is 1st visit and i get my psych, and NUT visit. NUT goes well, but I have been doning. Home work and already have been researching post dos and donts. My psych tho. Yikes talked myself into a panic attack, it was awesome. But made it through. Then 3rd (2nd per ye ole ins) and yay diet pills however the up side, really helped my fatique. And bonus lost 10 lbs. so now up to my 4th (3rd via ins) visit tomorrow and will. find out if all my stuff can be sent to insurance to get a surgery date.....more to come on the slow train.

thank you everyone. i will just take lots of deep breaths.

It's been two months and four days since I had my WLS and I have to admit, I didn't know how much I had changed physically until today. Don't get me wrong, I knew my clothes were bigger or didn't fit at all. I knew I felt better in a bathing suit than I have in years but I am at that point, that I don't see any major changes. Now, my husband keeps telling me that I am one the "rare" people who have lost my weight evenly throughout my body. I guess he's right, becasue it wasn't until we look my two month photos that I saw a huge difference. Since surgery I have lost fifty five pounds. I have lost eighty five from my highest weight (which I do not have a photo of) WARNING: These are not pin up photos. They show FAT....lots of it. They show folds and stretch marks and all the things as overweight people we have tried to hidden most of or lives. They show parts of my body that no one besides my husband has ever seen this big. This is very hard fro me to do, but I figured that people need to see that changes do happen after surgery even when we don't feel like they are happening. Also, I always promised to keep my posts honest and real and I figured this is the most honest and real I could be. Before Surgery First Month Second Month Before Surgery First Month Second Month